A semi-micromechanic interlaminar strain analysis on curved-beam specimens

Experimental analyses were performed for determination of interlaminar strains in circumferentially unidirectional curved beam specimens. Semi-circular and semi-elliptic carbon-epoxy specimens were subjected to opening mode tensile loadings. Whole field measurements were recorded at load levels from about 5 to more than 90 pct of failure loads. Contour maps of displacement fields were obtained by using moire interferometry, using reference gratings of 2400 lines/mm or 60,690 lines/in. Whole field contour maps of circumferential and interlaminar strains were obtained by using moire interferometry in a semi-micromechanic scale. Various anomalous effects were observed in the displacement fields. The zig-zag fringe patterns indicated that the fiber orientation in each layer was not truly circumferential. This deviation from the unidirectionality caused free-edge effects, such as interlaminar shear strains even at the axis of symmetry and the altered normal strains in the thickness direction. In the resin rich zones between layers, the tensile interlaminar strain was excessively large due to the large compliance. As the result of the combined effect of these anomalous behaviors, the values of the interlaminar tensile strains were larger than those predicted analytically. The modulus E sub 3 was actually smaller than the assumed value E sub 2 by 20 pct.