Static shear correction factor for laminated rectangular beams

Abstract

Most practical analyses of laminated composite beams, particularly rectangular sections used in civil structures, are based on first order shear deformation theories (FSDT), which generally require shear correction factors to account for shear stiffness and transverse shear stress. Using an energy equivalence principle, a general expression for the shear correction factor of laminated rectangular beams with arbitrary lay-up configurations is derived in this paper. A convenient algebraic form of the solution is presented and validated with existing results for composite beams and plates. An example is given to illustrate the use of the present formulation, and a parametric study is conducted to evaluate the effect of number of layers, elastic moduli ratio, and fiber-angle orientation on the shear correction factor for various laminates.