ANALYTICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL MECHANICS OF WOVEN FABRIC COMPOSITES
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Mechanics of woven fabric composites are developed jointly by experimental laboratory tests and analytical models. The analytical scheme is based upon a micro- to mini- to macro-mechanics evolution which is representative of the relative physical scale. At the micro-mechanics level the interaction of an individual fibre with surrounding resin is evaluated by the composite cylinder assemblage (CCA) technique. Additionally, woven fabric requires a layered mini-mechanics analysis to evaluate the interaction of the undulated tows. Herein, we developed original and accurate three-dimensional surface equations to represent the fill and warp tows uniquely. Our approach eliminates the requirement of predetermining any elements in the stiffness matrices of the composite, and is a true three-dimensional representation of both the warp and fill tow undulation and cross-section. Finally, macro-mechanics analysis is used to represent the largest scale of the composite; the entire structure of the composite as stacked through the thickness of a plate or shell. The analytical predictions provide exceptional agreement when compared with experimental results of plain weave composites. 1996 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
