Written by Puck's pupil and appointed successor Martin Knops, this book presents Alfred Puck ́s failure model, which, among several other theories, predicts fracture limits best and describes the failure phenomena in FRP most realistically – as confirmed within the "World-wide Failure Exercise". Using Puck ́s model the composite engineer can follow the gradual failure process in a laminate and deduce from the results of the analysis how to improve the laminate design.

This book presents a unified approach to fracture behavior of natural and synthetic fiber-reinforced polymer composites on the basis of fiber orientation, the addition of fillers, characterization, properties and applications. In addition, the book contains an extensive survey of recent improvements in the research and development of fracture analysis of FRP composites that are used to make higher fracture toughness composites in various applications.The FRP composites are an emerging area in polymer science with many structural applications. The rise in materials failure by fracture has forced scientists and researchers to develop new higher strength materials for obtaining higher fracture toughness. Therefore, further knowledge and insight into the different modes of fracture behavior of FRP composites are critical to expanding the range of their application.

Fiber reinforced polymer composites are an extremely broad and versatile class of material.Their high strength coupled with lightweight leads to their use wherever structural efficiency is at a premium. Applications can be found in aircraft, process plants, sporting goods and military equipment. However they are heterogeneous in construction and antisotropic, which makes making strength prediction extremely difficult especially compared to that of a metal. This book brings together the results of a 12year worldwide failure exercise encompassing 19 theories in a single volume. Each contributor describes their own theory and employs it to solve 14 challenging problems. The accuracy of predictions and the performance of the theories are assessed and recommendations made on the uses of the theories in engineering design. All the necessary information is provided for the methodology to be readily employed for validating and benchmarking new theories as they emerge. Brings together 19 failure theories, with many application examples. Compares the leading failure theories with one another and with experimental data Failure to apply these theories could result in potentially unsafe designs or over design.

Updated and improved, Stress Analysis of Fiber-Reinforced Composite Materials, Hyer's work remains the definitive introduction to the use of mechanics to understand stresses in composites caused by deformations, loading, and temperature changes. In contrast to a materials science approach, Hyer emphasizes the micromechanics of stress and deformation for composite material analysis. The book provides invaluable analytic tools for students and engineers seeking to understand composite properties and failure limits. A key feature is a series of analytic problems continuing throughout the text, starting from relatively simple problems, which are built up step-by-step with accompanying calculations. The problem series uses the same material properties, so the impact of the elastic and thermal expansion properties for a single-layer of FR material on the stress, strains, elastic properties, thermal expansion and failure stress of cross-ply and angle-ply symmetric and unsymmetric laminates can be evaluated. The book shows how thermally induced stresses and strains due to curing, add to or subtract from those due to applied loads.Another important element, and one unique to this book, is an emphasis on the difference between specifying the applied loads, i.e., force and moment results, often the case in practice, versus specifying strains and curvatures and determining the subsequent stresses and force and moment results. This represents a fundamental distinction in solid mechanics.

Having fully established themselves as workable engineering materials, composite materials are now increasingly commonplace around the world. Serves as both a text and reference guide to the behavior of composite materials in different engineering applications. Revised for this Second Edition, the text includes a general discussion of composites as material, practical aspects of design and performance, and further analysis that will be helpful to those engaged in research on composites. Each chapter closes with references for further reading and a set of problems that will be useful in developing a better understanding of the subject.

Bringing together materials mechanics and modelling, this book provides a complete guide to damage mechanics of composite materials for engineers.

Book is organized around new experiments in and modeling of fatigue and its effects over a range of composite materials subjected to multiple mechanical and thermal stresses. An objective of the investigations discussed is to explain failure mechanisms and improve long-term loading prediction and performance.