SEDL / STP / STP658-EB / STP34862S

Influence of Two-Dimensional Hygrotheramal Gradients on Interlaminar Stresses Near Free Edges

Faryley, GL
Graduate student and professor, Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University, Blacksburg, Va.

Herakovich, CT
Graduate student and professor, Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University, Blacksburg, Va.

Pages: 17    Published: Jan 1978

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Abstract

Interlaminar stresses are determined for mechanical loading, uniform hygrothermal loading, and gradient moisture loading through implementation of a finite-element computer code. Nonuniform two-dimensional hygroscopic gradients are obtained from a finite-difference solution of the diffusion equation. It is shown that hygroscopic-induced stresses can be larger than those resulting from mechanical and thermal loading, and that the distribution of the interlaminar normal stress may be changed significantly in the presence of a two-dimensional moisture gradient in the boundary layer of a composite laminate.