Deformation and failure analyses of cross-ply laminates using a nonlocal discrete model

A novel nonlocal discrete model is proposed in this paper to study the deformation and failure behaviors of cross-ply laminated composite plate under static or quasi-static mechanical loadings. Different from existing numerical approaches, the proposed model accounts for the material anisotropy at both constitutive and structural level. To achieve this purpose, the proposed model rotates the underlying topological structure, rather than transforming the material's tangent stiffness matrix as in the continuum-based simulations. Thus, different failure behaviors can be modeled as the natural outcome of the breakage of connecting springs. The proposed model is verified and validated by comparing the simulation results with analytical solution and experimental observations from open literature.