Influence of the ply thickness and the stacking sequence on the edge stresses of quasi-isotropic symmetric laminates

Abstract

An analytic approach for determining interlaminar stresses in rectangular [θ/-θ]s laminates subjected to an axial load has been adapted to the case of [θ1/θ2/θ3/θ4]s laminates. The coupling effects of each part of the laminate are compensated by the adjacent parts. In a first step, a half of the laminate is considered for determining forces and moments per unit length that prevent the global deformation of the whole symmetric laminate. Then, interlaminar stresses are computed applying the stress equilibrium equations and imposing the continuity of the stresses in the layer interfaces. The influence of the ply thickness and the stacking sequence of the laminate on the edge effect is analyzed by the analytical approach.