Optimum design and damage tolerance of compressively loaded laminates

In this chapter we will describe the different kinds of elastic coupling effects that can arise in anisotropic composite laminates before developing expressions that are used to determine laminate buckling loads. We then illustrate the optimization (or elastic tailoring) of laminates using straight fibers, followed by a presentation of the potential advantage of in-plane steering of fibers to achieve elastically tailored tows. Finally, we use an analytical model to examine the damage tolerance of a variety of straight fiber stacking sequences utilizing hybrid materials, highlighting improvements in compressive strength that can be made when plies are stacked in sequences that maximize damage tolerance.