In situ ply strengths - An initial assessment
The in situ ply strengths in several composites were calculated using a computational procedure developed for this purpose. Laminate fracture data for appropriate low modulus and high modulus fiber composites were used in the laminate analysis in conjunction with the method of least squares. The laminate fracture data were obtained from tests on Modmor-I graphite/epoxy, AS-graphite/epoxy, boron/epoxy and E-glass/epoxy. The results obtained show that the calculated in situ ply strengths can be considerably different from those measured in unidirectional composites, especially the transverse strengths and those in angleplied laminates with transply cracks.