Numerical method for failure simulation of unidirectional fiber-reinforced composites with spring element model

This study proposes a numerical method for analyzing and simulating the failure of unidirectional fiber-reinforced composites using the spring-element model (SEM). We compare the stress distribution calculated by this method with that of the 3D finite-element method (FEM). A Monte Carlo simulation is performed to simulate failures by this method. The computational efficiency is discussed in comparison to our previous SLM. Additionally, we demonstrate a hybrid (SEM/FEM) analysis to show the compatibility for the structural analysis. We found this method accurate and efficient for simulating and analyzing the failure process in the damaged composite.