Eichenberger, Edward Peter2017-05-252017-05-251993Eichenberger, Edward Peter (1993) A photoelastic investigation into the stress concentration factors around rectangular holes in composite plates, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, <http://hdl.handle.net/10539/22713>http://hdl.handle.net/10539/22713A dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Engineering, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in fulfiment of the requirements for the degree of Master or Science in Engineering. Johannesburg, 1993.The 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}Online resource (74 leaves)enComposite materials--TestingPhotoelasticityStrains and stressesPlates (Engineering)--TestingThesis