RESTRAN: Residual Strength Analysis of Impact Damaged Composite Laminates : User's Manual

A general predictive methodology for determining residual strength in impact damaged composite laminates has been developed and incorporated into a computer code designated RESTRAN (REsidual STRength ANalysis). RESTRAN is a finite element based design tool that can analyze composite structures with arbitrary three-dimensional (3-D) geometry, loading and support conditions, material properties, and initial material and delamination damage. Material failure modes are predicted using a robust suite of failure criteria and damage laws. Structural failure due to sequential sublaminate buckling of delaminated layers is also accounted for. A progressive failure analysis is performed until ultimate structural failure is predicted, thereby yielding an estimate of the residual strength. This report contains a user's manual for the RESTRAN program with complete descriptions of input statements and program output. Several examples are shown to illustrate the use of the RESTRAN computer code.Army Research Lab Aberdeen Proving Ground is the author of 'RESTRAN: Residual Strength Analysis of Impact Damaged Composite Laminates : User's Manual', published 2001 under ISBN 9781423527664 and ISBN 1423527666.