Functionally Graded Stitched Laminates: Illustration on the Example of a Double Cantilever Beam
Abstract
Although stitched laminates have been shown effective in preventing delamination failure, the presence of stitches results in a degraded in-plane strength and stiffness in such structures. The solution suggested in the paper is based on using stitches only in a part of the structure where they serve as arrestors of delamination cracks, while the part subject to considerable in-plane loading could remain unstitched. This approach, that could be called "functionally graded stitching," is considered on the example of a double cantilever beam (DCB) with a preexisting delamination crack that has penetrated into the stitched region of the beam. As is shown in the paper, the distribution of stitches in a functionally graded DCB (and in any other laminated structure) should be chosen to prevent three major failure modes. These modes include the failure of the stitches, bending failure of the unstitched delaminated section of the structure, and continuous crack propagation through the stitched region. The results obtained in the paper for the static problem clearly illustrate the feasibility of using functionally graded stitched laminates retaining in-plane strength and stiffness, while providing barriers to delamination cracks in less loaded regions of the structure. Additionally, the approach to the solution of the dynamic problem presented in the paper may be applied to the analysis of fatigue delamination cracks in partially stitched structures.
Recommended Citation
L. W. Byrd and V. Birman, "Functionally Graded Stitched Laminates: Illustration on the Example of a Double Cantilever Beam," Journal of Aerospace Engineering, American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), Jan 2006.
The definitive version is available at https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)0893-1321(2006)19:4(217)
Department(s)
Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
Sponsor(s)
United States. Air Force. Office of Scientific Research
Keywords and Phrases
Beams; Cantilevers; Laminates
International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)
0893-1321
Document Type
Article - Journal
Document Version
Citation
File Type
text
Language(s)
English
Rights
© 2006 American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), All rights reserved.
Publication Date
01 Jan 2006
