Giant composites

A method for predicting mechanical behaviour, and/or the effect of mechanical behaviour, of a body B of a system A including the body and subjected to mechanical impact P, the mechanical behaviour including fracture of the body B or of a part of the body B as a result of the impact,

• the system A being complex in that
• the body B is built up as a composite body, and
• the fracture of the body B or the part thereof is complex in that it includes tensile fracture and fracture other than pure tensile fracture,
• the method comprising
• (a) providing a model M of the system A, the model M including a physical model, designated Bmodel, of the body B which is geometrically similar to the body B, or of the part thereof which is subjected to fracture, but differs from the body B or the part thereof in that
• 1. the materials of the model body Bmodel differ from the corresponding materials of the body B or the part thereof by having mechanical properties, including mechanical properties decisive for complex fracture, which are different from the mechanical properties of the body B, and
• 2. the size of the model body Bmodel optionally differs from the size of the body C,
• the relationship between the size and the materials of the model body Bmodel and the size and the materials of the body B or the part thereof being such that the ratio between at least two of the size/behaviour-related parameters decisive to complex fracture behaviour is identical or substantially identical in the model body Bmodel and in the body B or the part thereof, the at least two parameters including at least one parameter which is not a parameter solely related to pure tensile fracture, or the said ratio differs from being identical or substantially identical by a known or assessible correction function;
• (b) subjecting the model system to a mechanical impact Pmodel which is adapted so that it is geometrically and dynamically similar to the mechanical impact P;
• (c) recording the behaviour of the model body Bmodel resulting from the influence, including the complex fracture behaviour thereof and/or the effect of said complex fracture behaviour;
• and
• (d) determining the predicted mechanical behaviour of the body B or the part thereof, including the complex fracture behaviour of the body B or the part thereof, and/or the effect of the complex fracture behaviour, by transferring the recorded behaviour of the model body Bmodel to predicted geometrically similar behaviour of the body B or the part thereof by the use of one or more algorithms which include the above-mentioned at least two parameters and, if necessary, the above-mentioned correction function.