Nonlinear Stress-Strain Response of Laminated Composites

This paper presents a simplified method of predicting the nonlinear stress-strain curves upt to the tensile and compressive failures for an unidi rectionally orthotropic lamina, symmetric biaxial and triaxial laminates. The analytical procedure is based on the classical Laminated Plate Theory (L.P.T.). With applying L.P.T. to the small sress or strain increments of the stress-strain curve, nonlinear stress-strain curve is continuously predicted for various laminates. Comparisons are made between analytical predic tions and experimental results. As the results, the nonlinear stress-strain curves for various cases could be estimated and the results have consider ably good agreement with experimental ones.