ANALYSIS OF PLAIN-WEAVE COMPOSITES SUBJECTED TO FLEXURE

Techniques were developed for analyzing plain-weave composites subject ed to flexure. These techniques were based on the solutions for an inf inite array of unit cells subjected to extension and flexure. Periodic boundary conditions were derived for flexure of the configuration. (P eriodic boundary conditions for extension already have been documented in the literature.) The stress distributions and homogenized moduli f rom the infinite array can be used with simple formulas to predict the variation of flexural stiffness with thickness and the distribution o f stresses in thick but finite specimens. For exterior mats, where the accuracy of the predictions was poor, an alternative procedure was de veloped that gives quite accurate predictions.