Relevance to WCCM–ECCOMAS

The proposed short course is highly relevant to the WCCM–ECCOMAS community, as it addresses advanced computational techniques for composite failure analysis, combining boundary-based numerical methods with Classical Laminate Theory. The course emphasizes accurate stress evaluation near stress concentrations, efficient modeling strategies, and practical design-oriented failure prediction. These aspects align strongly with current research trends in computational mechanics, composite structures, and structural integrity, making the course valuable for both academic and applied audiences.

Course description

The objective of this short course is to provide participants with a comprehensive and practical framework for predicting first-ply failure (FPF) in symmetric composite laminates containing stress concentrators, such as holes. The course integrates Classical Laminate Theory (CLT) for global laminate response, Boundary Element Method (BEM) with anisotropic kernels for accurate local stress recovery, and Tsai–Hill and Tsai–Wu failure criteria for ply-level failure prediction. Participants will gain both theoretical understanding and practical insight into how fiber orientation and anisotropy influence failure initiation in composite structures, based on validated numerical examples and case studies.

Objectives and target groups

The course is intended for:

• PhD and MSc students working on composite materials
• Postdoctoral researchers
• Academic researchers in computational mechanics
• Engineers dealing with composite structural design

Prerequisites: Basic knowledge of mechanics of materials and numerical methods including FEM/BEM fundamentals.

Scientific and technical areas covered

• Introduction to failure mechanisms in composite laminates
• First-ply failure as a design criterion
• Classical Laminate Theory for symmetric laminates
• Orthotropic and anisotropic elasticity fundamentals
• Lekhnitskii formulation and anisotropic kernels
• Boundary Element Method (BEM) for stress concentration problems
• Stress recovery around holes in composite plates
• Tsai–Hill and Tsai–Wu failure criteria
• Coupled BEM–CLT–Tsai workflow for FPF predic􀆟on
• Influence of fiber orientation on allowable load and failure index