• Composites Research
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• v.23 no.5
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• pp.8-14
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• 2010

Three types of glass woven fabrics (plain, balanced twill, and unbalanced twill) having various sample sizes and aspect ratios were tested using the bias-extension tests. Real-time deformation images, force, and displacement data were collected. For the bias-extension test, the shear angle of the fabrics from the equation based on the crosshead displacement and fabric size was compared with direct manual measurements of the warp and weft angles as well as the optical measurement software. To determine the shear force, an analytical equation was introduced considering the kinematics of the bias-extension test. The obtained shear behaviors were further compared with the results by the trellis-frame test. The optical measurement methods showed that the mathematical method was reasonable before the shear angle of the fabrics reaches $30^{\circ}$ in the bias-extension tests. Also, the bias-extension test gave consistent behaviors with the trellis-frame test only for isotropic and homogeneous fabrics such as balanced plain and twill weaves.