Two dimensional finite elements were used to study boundary effects in plain weave composite specimens subjected to extension, shear, and flexure laods. Effective extension, shear, and flexural moduli were found to be quite sensitive to specimen size. For extension and flexure loads stress distributions were affected by a free surface, but the free surface boundary effect did not appear to propagate very far into the interior. For shear load the boundary effect appeared to propagate much further into the interior.
1. Whitcomb, J. D."Three-Dimensional Stress Analysis of Plain Weave Composites," in Composite Materials: Fatigue and Fracture (Third Volume), ASTM STP 1110, T. K. O'Brien, ed., Philadelphia: American Society for Testing and Materials, pp. 417-438.
2.
2. Paumell, P., A. Hassim and F. Lene. 1990. La Recherche Aerospatiale, 1:1-12.
3.
3. Paumell, P., A. Hassim and F. Lene. 1991. La Recherche Aerospatiale, 6:47-62.
5. Ishikawa, T. and T.-W. Chou. 1982. J. Material Science, 17:3211-3220.
6.
6. Kriz, R. D.1985. J. Composites Technology & Research, 7:55-58.
7.
7. Avery, W. B. and C. T. Herakovich. 1987. A Study of the Mechanical Behavior of a 2D Carbon-Carbon Composite, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University: Interim Report 66.
8.
8. Whitcomb, J. D. and K. Woo. -Enhanced Direct Stiffness Method for Finite Element Analysis of Textile Composites," accepted for publication in Composite Structures.
