Dh. Mollenhauer et al., EXPERIMENTAL-VERIFICATION OF SPLINE STRESS-ANALYSIS METHOD FOR A STRUCTURAL COMPOSITE LAMINATE CONTAINING A HOLE, Journal of reinforced plastics and composites, 17(2), 1998, pp. 96-108
Moire interferometry surface strain measurements for a uniaxially load
ed composite laminate with an open hole were compared to predictions f
rom three-dimensional spline variational theory, from two-dimensional
finite element analysis, and from two-dimensional elasticity theory. S
train measurements and a progressive damage investigation were accompl
ished using twenty-eight ply fiber dominated, IM7/5250-4, laminates. A
t low load levels, prior to matrix cracking, phase shifting moire inte
rferometry was used to measure in-plane displacements. Experimental su
rface strains were calculated based on digital analysis of the displac
ement fields. Direct comparisons between theory and experiment were ma
de using contour plots of epsilon(xx), epsilon(yy), and gamma(xy). For
all in-plane surface strains, the spline variational theory results s
howed good agreement with experiment in close proximity to the hole. A
separate group of specimens were loaded incrementally until failure,
and the initiation and progression of damage was documented using x-ra
y images. Regions where the stress exceeded the ultimate transverse st
rength are compared to the actual damage images using contour plotting
schemes. Overall, the location of initial failure as predicted by the
spline variational theory corresponded well with damage observations
for early stages of damage.