Influence of Thermal Effects on Failure of Composite Laminate

Despite their many advantages, such as high specific strength and modulus, good fatigue life, and better wear resistance, a common problem encountered with composite laminates is their sensitivity to environmental conditions such as temperature and moisture. A successful design of a structure requires the efficient and safe use of materials. This book presents a procedure and computer program in MATLAB environment to examine the influence of the residual stresses on the stress distributions through the thickness of the symmetrical and unsymmetrical composite laminates and on failure caused due to temperature variation. The laminates are subjected to a uniaxial tensile load as well as a change in temperature corresponding to cool down from cure temperature to room temperature. The influence of various parameters such as material properties, material limits, stacking sequences and thickness of each layer as well as the loading conditions are taken into consideration. These results are presented through a number of graphical plots and tables. The accuracy of results is verified by comparing the results available in the literature.