Abstract
It now is recognized widely that stiffness changes during the service loading of composite laminates can be significantly large, especially as those changes affect deflections, dimensional changes, vibration characteristics, and load or stress distributions. Several generic sources of stiffness change can be identified, in various degrees, in fibrous composite materials. The source which occurs quite early in the life of a specimen or component is matrix cracking, the subject of this paper. While most laboratories now report stiffness changes, very little systematic philosophy has been developed to account for and explain such stiffness changes. The complexity of this situation requires systematic study, and motivates the search for a model, or models, which can describe the behavior and predict unfamiliar response. The present paper reports the results of an experimental program and an analytical modelling exercise which indicate that much of the observed matrix cracking can be predicted and the effects on stiffness calculated with various degrees of accuracy depending upon the sophistication of the model used.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
