LAUSR

Advanced composite materials and structures are largely employed in modern aircraft, automotive designs, marine vessels, wind turbine blades, sports equipment and various high-performance engineering applications. The deployment of composites in these applications makes them extremely susceptible to dynamic loading and impact damage. However, due to the multi-scale nature and multi-physics phenomena of impact dynamic response, composites are highly complex and challenging to predict. Researchers must utilize the latest state-of-the-art experimental techniques to characterize dynamic events and elucidate damage modes. Modern computational and modeling tools are needed to accurately simulate dynamic behavior and predict associated failure mechanisms. As such, understanding the dynamic response and impact damage phenomena of composites remains an open scientific challenge. In this special issue, we are excited to present papers that showcase both experimental methodology and simulation techniques that advance the field of impact and dynamic response of composites. Experimentally, authors in this special issue examine the delamination area using ultrasonic scanning and X-ray computed tomography, as well as visualize fiber/matrix debonding using X-ray synchrotron technique. Further, research studies presented in this issue present a broader understanding of the impact behavior of syntactic foam core sandwich composites, flexible matrix composites and woven fiberglass composites through experimental high-rate testing. Finally, modeling of blast and impact behavior of composites using 3D progressive failure method and generalized orthotropic material model in simulation packages are also presented and discussed. The aim of this special issue is to enhance dissemination of the recent research results in this exciting field, and foster discussion among composite researchers regarding the latest developments on the impact and dynamic response of composites. We hope that readers will find useful information and thoughtful insights therein. In closing, we would like to thank authors for their invited contributions, noting that this special issue followed their presentations at the American Society for Composites 33rd Technical Conference ‘‘Impact and Dynamic Response’’ sessions. The conference was held at Seattle, Washington, USA from 24 to 27 September 2018.