THE TORSIONAL RESPONSE OF MULTILAYER THICK LAMINATES USING EFFECTIVE MODULI

The torsional responses of thick composite laminates are analyzed in t his paper. The three-dimensional effective moduli are employed in the global finite element analysis and analytical series solution to simpl ify the calculations. By introducing a shear moduli ratio, the torsion al behaviors of an edge cracked bar can be obtained by solving a set o f simultaneous equations. These two methods are compared with the conv entional layer-by-layer finite element local analysis. Numerical resul ts show that the effective moduli theory can be applied to analyze the torsional responses of thick composite laminates with reliable effici ency and accuracy. This analytical tool can be employed for several an gle-ply laminates to characterize the interlaminar critical strain ene rgy release rates in the experiment.