Dynamics of shear deformable laminated composites using Raleigh Ritz method

Abstract

Layered composites have attracted attention for their high specific stiffness, high specific strength, and application specific tailoring of their properties. It is also recognized that layered composites are prone to delamination failure in addition to other failure modes. Consideration of transverse shear on the deformation behavior of the composites is an important aspect in the study of delamination mode failure of such plates. In this paper, we consider the effects of including the transverse shear deformation on the vibration characteristics of layered composites. The formulation is based on the Raleigh-Ritz method using the beam characteristic functions. MATLAB based symbollic math tool box is used in evaluating th eintegrals resulting from the Raleigh Ritz approach. Various commonly occuring boundary conditions are discussed. Results are provided showing the effects of the shear deformation on the dynamics of layered laminated composites. The effects of laminate thickness, fiber orientation, and the plate aspect ratios on the free vibration characteristics of the composite laminates are given to demonstrate the methodology described.