Prediction of the stress distributions and strength properties of 3-D braided composites with an eccentric circular hole

Due to their low delaminating tendency and high damage tolerance, 3-D braided composites are capable of being utilized in notched components. However, a few studies have investigated the mechanical properties of braided composites with open holes in multi-scale. In this paper, a multi-scale study on the mechanical properties of 3-D 4-directional braided composites with an eccentric circular hole is carried out. The equivalent elastic properties of 3-D 4-directional braided composites are calculated by the homogenization method based on the geometry of the meso unit cells. According to Lekhnitskii's theory, the local stress correction (LSC) method for computing the transverse stress around the eccentric hole is proposed. The models of meso unit cells with different braided angles are established, and the strength of the defect-free composites is predicted by the Tsai-Wu criterion. In the macroscopic view, using the point stress criterion (PSC), the average stress criterion (ASC), and numerical analysis, the strength properties of braided composites with different hole radii, braided angles, and eccentric distances are predicted. This study can be utilized to estimate the stress distributions and strength properties of 3-D braided composites with an eccentric hole and provides theoretical and simulation foundations for the problems of orthotropic materials with holes.