• Composites Research
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.7-17
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• 2004

In this study, the effect of laminate thickness on the compressive behaviour of composite materials is investigated through systematic experimental work using the stacking sequences, $[O_4]_{ns},{\;}[45/0/-45/90]_{ns}$ and $[45_n/0_n/-45_n/90_n]_s$ (n=2 to 8). Parameters such as fibre volume fraction, void content, fibre waviness and interlaminar stresses, influencing compressive strength with increasing laminate thickness are also studied experimentally and theoretically. Furthermore the stacking sequence effects on failure strength of multidirectional laminates are examined. For this purpose, two different scaling techniques are used; (1) ply-level technique $[45_n/0_n/-45_n/90_n]s$ and (2) sublaminate level technique $[45/0/-45/90]_{ns}$. An apparent thickness effect existes in the lay-up with blocked plies, i.e. unidirectional specimens ($[O_4]_{ns}) and ply-level scaled multidirectional specimens ($[45_n/0_n/-45_n/90_n]_s$). Fibre waviness and void content are found to be main parameters contributing to the thickness effect on the compressive failure strength. However, the compressive strength of the sublaminate level scaled specimens ($[45/0/-45/90]_{ns}$) is almost unaffected regardless of the specimen thickness (since ply thickness remains constant). From the investigation of the stacking sequence effect, the strength values obtained from the sublaminate level scaled specimens are slightly higher than those obtained from the ply level scaled specimens. The reason for this effect is explained by the fibre waviness, void content, free edge effect and stress redistribution in blocked $0^{\circ}$ plies and unblocked $0^{\circ}$ plies. The measured failure strengths are compared with the predicted values.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society For Composite Materials Conference
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• 2005.11a
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• pp.61-65
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• 2005

Existing test methods for thick-section specimens ( 4mm) have not provided precise compressive properties to date for the analysis and design of thick structure. A survey of the failure behaviour of such thick specimens revealed that the failure initiated at the top corner of the specimen and propagated down and across the width of the specimen as premature failure, not typically reported for thin compression specimens. In the current study, the premature failure was successfully avoided during compressive testing and the failure mode was quite similar regardless of increasing specimen thickness and specimen volume. Failure mode was similar regardless of increasing specimen thickness and specimen volume, i.e. brooming failure mode combined with longitudinal splitting, interlaminar cracking, fibre breakage and kinkband formation (fibre microbuckling). Nevertheless, average failure strengths of the specimens decreased with increasing specimen thicnkiness from 2mm to 8mm with the T800/924C system (36% strength reduction) and specimen volumes from scaling factor I to scaling factor 4 with the IM7/8552 system (46% strength reduction). It was revealed from the literature$^{11}$ that the thickness effect and scaling effect arc caused by manufacturing defects such as void content and fibre waviness.