Mechanics of Textile and Laminated Composites

Book excerpt: Mechanics of Textile and Laminated Composites is in three parts. The first part (Chapters 1 and 2) covers the fundamental issues of 3-D theory of elasticity and presents the theory of elasticity of an anisotropic body with comprehensive analysis of its specific cases. The second part (Chapters 3-5) presents the theoretical and experimental characterization of the elastic properties of unidirectional, textile and layered composite materials. The final part (Chapters 6 and 7) addresses the problems of 3-D stress analysis in laminated and textile composite structures. Major emphasis is placed on textile composites, perhaps the most complex and at the same time most promising group of composite materials. One of the most important features of this book is that it provides accurate and efficient 3-D analysis of laminated and textile reinforced structures, using novel methods. It has become more and more evident in recent years that, in many practical design situations, such full-scale 3-D analyses are required. Researchers, designers and engineers working with composite materials and structures will find this book an invaluable addition to their libraries.