A photoelastic investigation of asymmetric four point bend shear test for composite materials

The shear stress fringe value of orthotropic birefringent model materials is presently used in an asymmetric four-point bend test that employs a notched specimen and is a modification of the Iosipescu test (1967). While in the case of a unidirectionally reinforced glass-polyester model material, shear stress fringe values obtained from 90- and 120-deg (sharp and radiused) notches are reasonably close to the values obtained for an off-axis tensile specimen, no conclusions can be drawn on the influence of the notch parameters, due to the peculiarities of the photoelastic response of the inhomogeneous orthotropic model material. The failure modes nevertheless indicate that a notch radius, and the 120-deg notch angle, reduce the stress concentration. Comparisons are made with finite element results.