with the Young’s modulus Ef = 380 GPa of the undamaged fibres [37]. The Young’s modulus Ec∗ of the damaged mini-composites was determined from the slope of the secant defined by the true origin of the stress–strain curve, which corresponds to the intersection of the extended linear region of the stress–strain curve with the abscissa, and the point of mini-composite failure associated with εcb, cf. Fig. 3(a).