Free-edge effect on the failure behavior of triaxially braided composite

The present work is intended to give detailed identification and present intuitive phenomena of free-edge effect, through dimensional analysis. This study describes an experimental study aimed at elucidating the relationship of free-edge effect and mechanical failure behavior. Transverse tension coupon specimens with different width were designed to contain certain number of unit cells through the gage section and tested under Digit Image Correlation monitoring. Meso-scale finite element model is applied to simulate the free-edge effect of a triaxially braided composite structure. The quantitative relationship of specimen size on the effective strength is then built-up based on the numerical and experimental results. Further analysis is conducted to discover the inherent feature of the free-edge effect in triaxially braided composites.