Analysis of Composite Laminates

Composite structures play a critical role in all types of engineering, from aerospace to subsea structures, including in medical prosthetics, circuit boards, and sports equipment. The dramatic increase in the use of composite materials is based on computational mechanic analysis methods. Yet new complex manufacturing technology, anisotropy and structural complexity pose a challenge to existing methods of analysis. With the rapid development and application of composite integral forming technology, for example, the forms of various composite reinforced structures and grid structures have become much more complex. Composite Laminated: Theories and Their Applications presents the latest methods for analyzing composite laminates and their areas of application. The title introduces the most important analytical methods in use today, focusing on fracture, damage, multi-physics and sensitivity analysis. Alongside these methods, the volume presents original research carried out over two decades into laminated composite structures, and gives detailed coverage of laminate theories, analytic solutions, and finite element models. The book focuses on theory and implementation, predictability and design, and hands-on experience. Eleven chapters cover key topics including: An introduction to composites; Elasticity; Shear; State space theory; Layerwise theories; Extended layerwise method; Fracture and damage mechanics; Multi-physical fracture problems; Analytical methods of stiffened sandwich structures; Progressive failure analysis; and Static response and frequencies sensitivity analysis. This volume offers a comprehensive guide to the state-of-the-art in the analysis and applications of composite laminates. Presents a guide to the analysis and application of advanced composite materials Gives detailed exposition of plate/shell theories and their implementation in finite element code architecture Considers the robustness, effectiveness and applications aspects of laminated plate/shell methods Gives hands-on experience of code architecture, providing composite analysis software which can be plugged in to commercial applications Presents experimental research alongside methods, laminate theories, analytic solutions, and finite element models