3. Electronic Theses and Dissertations (ETDs) - All submissions
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Item A photoelastic investigation into the stress concentration factors around rectangular holes in composite plates(1993) Eichenberger, Edward PeterThe stress concentration factors around rectangular holes in carbon-fibre reinforced epoxy plates, subject uniaxial loads, were investigated experimentally and theoretically. To obtain theoretical solutions, two approaches were adopted; the finite element method and the theory of elasticity using the method of complex variable functions. Reflective photoelasticity was used as the experimental method. The determination of the stress concentration factor around a rectangular hole in a glass-fibrereinforced plate was attempted using transmissive photoelasticity, but no meaningful results were obtained. [Abbreviated Abstract. Open document to view full version}Item Failure criteria and acoustic emission as applied to composite materials(1992) Campbell, IThis project involves the comparison of different failure criteria with experimental results for fibre composite materials, and investigates the usefulness of acoustic emission in composite testing. Three sets of specimens were tested to failure in tension. The specimens had various ply orientations and were tested using acoustic emission to determine ply failures. Carbon and glass fibre reinforced epoxy pre-impregnated specimens were used. The testing machine was an ESH testing machine, and a physical Acoustics corporation computer and data acquisition unit were used to record data from a piezo-electric sensor. Suitable failure criteria should be chosen on the basis of ply orientation and material type (eg fibre stiffness), a combination of criteria being used if necessary. Acoustic emission was successfully used to detect ply failure in multi-layered laminates.