COMPOSITE MATERIALS. - Mechanical Behavior and Strucutal Analysis

This book presents a clear and comprehensive treatment of all of the tools needed to model the mechanical behavior of composite materials, to analyze laminate and sandwich structures, and to apply the results to problems of structural design (bending, buckling, and vibrations). The treatment emphasizes comparisons between the models and the actual behavior of materials and structures. The first part of the book provides an introduction to composite materials, their properties, and basic concepts of manufacture. The second part develops the mathematical foundations of continuum mechanics needed for a mechanical analysis of composite materials and structures. In the third part, the author considers the micromechanics of composite materials, comparing theory to experimental results, and considers mechanisms of fracture and damage. The fourth part discusses laminate and sandwich plates, developing the fundamental theories, then discussing applications such as clothreinforced materials, and analyzing the influence of shear. The fifth part treats bending, buckling, and vibration of composite structures, both beams and plates. The book concludes with a chapter on design of laminate structures, synthesizing the concepts developed in the book.