Composite Arches Research Articles

Out-Of-Plane Free Vibration Characteristics of Symmetric Cross-Ply Laminated Composite Arches with Deep Curvature

Article Out-Of-Plane Free Vibration Characteristics of Symmetric Cross-Ply Laminated Composite Arches with Deep Curvature was published on June 1, 1999 in the journal Journal of the Mechanical Behavior of Materials (volume 10, issue 3).

Progressive Failure Analysis of Laminated Beams and Arches Undergoing Large Rotations

A geometrically nonlinear finite-element formulation based on the total Lagrangian approach is used to predict the onset of various failure modes in laminated composite beams and arches. Some of the failure modes considered include matrix cracking, fiber breakage, and delamination. Numerical examples of beam and arch geometries are analyzed statically to observe the characteristics of large displacements and large rotations considering these failure modes. Large strain effects on load displacement characteristics are studied. Load-carrying capabilities of the composite beam and arch structures, after the first ply failure, are discussed.

Effects of Fabrication Process on Prestressed Composite Arches

Previous studies suggest that intentional buckling of wide shallow members as a fabrication method for arches and domes could result in buckling loads much lower than the conventional rigid (i.e., nonprestressed) structures of the same shape and weight. A modified prestressing technique is discussed in which single-layer struts are separately but simultaneously buckled into arch shape, and then attached to each other and to the supports to form a sandwich composite section. A nonlinear finite-element model is developed to study the effects of this technique on the stability behavior of prestressed sandwich arches. Equivalent rigid arches of elastica shape are studied by initializing the residual stresses prior to loading. A prestressed homogeneous arch that is twice as thick as each face layer of the sandwich section is used for comparison. Prestressing forces that were known to reduce the buckling loads of homogeneous arches by as much as 25%, are shown to have negligible effect on the stability of sandw...

Vibration of laminated composite arches with deep curvature and arbitrary boundaries

Exact solutions for the title problem are presented for general boundary conditions. No numerical frequencies are presented using these solutions, instead natural frequencies are obtained using the Ritz method. This method has the important shortcoming that the assumed displacements have to be changed when various boundary conditions are treated. This shortcoming is overcome in this paper by assuming the displacement functions as polynomials having a general form. Accurate frequencies are obtained for arbitrary boundary conditions. The results can be useful for designers, engineers, and researchers who are interested in the problem. The method can also be generalized to plate- and shell-like structures.