The effects of eccentricities on the fracture of off-axis fiber composites

Finite element analyses were performed to investigate theoretically the effects of in-plane and out-of plane eccentricities, bending or twisting, and thickness nonuniformity on the axial stress and strain variations across the width of off-axis specimens. The results are compared with measured data and are also used to access the effects of these eccentricities on the fracture stress of off-axis fiber composites. Guidelines for detecting and minimizing the presence of eccentricities are described.