Problem- 2- T2

Consider an E-glass reinforced vinyl ester composite lamina loaded by a tensile

force which is applied at an angle to the fibre direction (principal axis 1, or L)
of the fibrous composite, Figure 1
2(T)

1(L)

Figure 1 Off-axis lamina under tensile stress

The stress x = (4.5 + 0.03XX) MPa and makes the angle = 30o with respect to
the principal fibre direction.
The following properties (determined with micromechanics) of the fibrous
composite with respect to the material axes are given:
fLt = 1500 MPa;
fTt = 50 MPa;
fLTs = 35 MPa;
Lt = 1ult = 0.035;
Tt = 2ult = 0.002;
LT = 12ult = 0.0075
EL = E1 = 49,230 MPa
ET = E2 = 8,380 MPa
GLT = G12 = 3064 MPa
LT = 12 = 0.273
TL = 21 = 0.046
1. Determine the state of stress in the composite element and check the strength
of the composite material using the failure criteria.

2. Calculate the off-axis moduli E x and

along principal axes 1(L) and 2(T):

Ey

knowing the stiffness coefficients

SOLUTION
Consider an orthotropic lamina with its principal material axes oriented at an
angle with references (global) coordinate system as shown in Figure 2.
T(2)

(1) L

xy

Figure 2. Lamina with material and

reference coordinate axes

yx

The transformation laws may be established by considering equilibrium of

appropriate infinitesimal volume elements. In a two dimensional case the
following transformation equation may be obtained by considering equilibrium
of triangular elements such as shown in Figure 3.
y

12
x

yx

2
21

xy

xy

y yx

Figure 3 Equilibrium of two dimensional triangular elements

1 x cos 2 y sin 2 2 xy sin cos
2 x sin 2 y cos 2 2 xy sin cos

12 x sin cos y sin cos xy cos 2 sin 2

1.1 Maximum stress failure criterion:

In the maximum stress theory it is assumed that lamina failure occurs

whenever any one component of stress attains its limiting value, independent of
all other components of stress.
According to this theory, in order to avoid failure, the following set of
inequalities must be satisfied:
f Lc 1 f Lt
f T c 2 f Tt
12 f LTs

Since the direct stresses 1 and 2 are positive the following procedure can be
applied:
sin = s = 0.5; cos = c = 0.865
x = 4.5 MPa; y= 0; xy = 0 1= 3.367 MPa
2 = 1.125 MPa
12 = 1.946 Mpa
Therefore
1= 3.367 MPa < 1500 MPa
2 = 1.125 MPa < 50 MPa
12 = 1.946 Mpa < 35 MPa

1.2 Maximum strain failure criterion:

Maximum strain theory predicts failure when any principal material axis
strain component exceeds the corresponding ultimate strain.
The following set of inequalities must be satisfied in order to avoid failure
according to this criterion:
Lc 1 Lt

 Tc 2 Tt
12 LT

The strains in the principal material directions are:

1

c 2 21 s 2
1

21 2 x

E1
E2
E
E
2
1

s 2 12 c 2
2
1

2
12
x

E2
E1
E
E
1
2
12

cs
12
x
G12
G12

1 = 0.000062 < 1ult = 0.035

2 = 0.000116 < 2ult = 0.002
12 = 0.000623 < 12ult = 0.0075

1.3 Tsai-Hill theory

The extension of Hill criterion to prediction of failure in an orthotropic
lamina was suggested by Tsai and the resulting equation is referred to as TsaiHill theory.
For the case of plane stress in the 1, 2 plane ( 3 13 23 0 ) of a
transversely isotropic material, the Tsai-Hill failure surface takes the form:
12 1 2 22 122
2 2 2 1
f Lt2
f Lt
f Tt f LTs

Failure is avoided if the left-hand side of the above equation is < 1, and
failure occurs if the left-hand side is 1.
3.367 2 3.367 x1.125 1.125 2 3.786 2

0.0035991.00
1500 2
1500 2
50 2
35 2

Therefore the composite does not fail.

2. Off-axis stiffness coefficients

- Longitudinal modulus Ex
Ex can also be expressed in terms of the engineering constants in the principal
material coordinates and the fiber orientation :
1

1
1
1
cos 4
2 12 sin 2 cos 2
sin 4
E x E1
E1
E2
G12
1
1
0.273
1
1
2
2

0.865 4
2
0.5 4 0.0000777786
0.5 0.865
Ex
49230
3064
49230
8380

Ex = 12855 MPa
-Transverse modulus Ey
1

1
1
1
sin 4
2 12 sin 2 cos 2
cos 4
E y E1
G
E
E
1
2
12
1
0.000127022
Ey

Ey = 7872 MPa