SEDL / STP / STP864-EB / STP32812S

On the Streamline Specimen for Tension Testing of Composite Materials

Oplinger, DW
Army Materials and Mechanics Research Center (AMMRC), Watertown, MA

Parker, BS
Army Materials and Mechanics Research Center (AMMRC), Watertown, MA

Gandhi, KR
Army Materials and Mechanics Research Center (AMMRC), Watertown, MA

Lamothe, R
Army Materials and Mechanics Research Center (AMMRC), Watertown, MA

Foley, G
Army Materials and Mechanics Research Center (AMMRC), Watertown, MA

Pages: 24    Published: Jan 1985

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Abstract

Tensile and shear stress concentrations have been found in prior work to degrade the performance of tension test specimen designs in current use. In the particular case of tabbed specimens there is need for an alternative specimen design to avoid problems with tab failures and loss of tabs when testing in adverse environments. The streamline shape which is described here provides such an alternative. This paper discusses the theoretical background to the streamline shape, together with results of studies in which its performance is compared experimentally with other specimen types, especially tabbed specimens, in both static and fatigue testing environments.