Interlaminar Stresses of Uniformly Loaded Rectangular Composite Plates

Abstract

An analytical solution is obtained for bending a rectangular composite plate with two sides simply-supported and other two sides free. The inter laminar shear stresses and the normal or "peel" stress, near and at the free edges of the plate, are predicted. Numerical example of a 4-layer (+θ/-θ) s laminate is given. The magnitudes of the interlaminar shear and normal stresses may be as high as 30% and 5% respectively, of the maximum bending stress of the laminate. It would play a dominant role in fatigue fracture of composite plates such as leaf-spring of automobiles, lever-arms of painting robots, and many orthopedic in-plant devices.