6: Mechanics of Fibre-Reinforced Composites
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Learning Objectives
On completion of this TLP you should:
- Understand what composites are.
- Understand why composites exhibit high strength and high toughness.
- Be able to calculate the elastic constants for a single lamina and for a laminate.
- Be able to predict the strength of a single lamina and of a laminate.
Before you start
The meanings of some basic elastic constants, including stiffness , strength and toughness .
- The use of Ashby Materials Selection Maps ( See the TLP - Optimisation of Materials Properties in Living Systems )
- Stress states and Mohr's circle (these are covered in the TLP - Theory of Metal Forming - Stress States and Yielding Criteria )
- Tensors and matrices.
- Some basic knowledge of plastic deformation and brittle and ductile fracture is also useful.
These are not pre-requisites and it should be possible to make use of this TLP even without knowledge of these concepts.