Zhu, Huanlin (2015-10). Effect of Prestress on the Mechanical Performance of Composites. Doctoral Dissertation. Thesis uri icon

abstract

  • Bodies are prestressed with the intention to enhance their load carrying capacity. The primary objective of this study is to understand the effect of prestressing the constituents in composite bodies on the overall mechanical performance of the composites. This study considers composites having linearized viscoelastic constituents which can exhibit either fluid-like or solid-like behavior. A new class of elastic and viscoelastic constitutive models with limiting strain or stress softening behavior has also been implemented. The effect of stress relaxation in constituents of the prestressed composite on the overall load carrying capacity of the composite is investigated. In both models discussed above, we deal with linearized strains. Both analytical and numerical results are presented. The properties of the composite, whether a brittle inclusion embedded in ductile matrix or a ductile inclusion in brittle matrix are greatly influenced by the ratio of the induced prestress with respect to the external load and thereby influences the load carrying capacity of the composite.

publication date

  • October 2015