Cylindrical composite structures are widely used in several applications, leveraging the excellent mechanical and lightweight properties. However, current burst pressure testing requires high-pressure facilities with limited accessibility and high costs. This study introduces an isotropic dilation loading framework to characterize the mechanical behavior of composite cylinders as a function of strain rate. Carbon fiber cylinders were fabricated using an integrated 3D printing and manual shaping approach, resulting in thin shells with lap joints. Ring samples were fitted on donut-shaped incompressible rubber pucks, which underwent radial expansion upon axial jamming with oversized indenters until ultimate failure. Experimental results were supported by analytical solutions and physical testing was supplemented by full-field strain measurements and biaxial strain gauges to measure the local strains in the composite rings. The results indicate a strain-dominated failure behavior, with hoop strains at lap joint failure of ∼ 1.77 mε, within acceptable deviation from the analytical solution. Furthermore, failure modes present in dynamic loading indicated more severe damage, including geometrical deformation and peripheral laminate failure. The outcomes of this study demonstrate the capabilities of isotropic dilation for controlled testing of burst properties, suggesting a promising foundation for future investigations into scalable testing protocols and high-accuracy predictive modeling.
Eckstein et al. (Sun,) studied this question.