ABSTRACT
The free-edge effects in laminated composites were studied for curved surfaces, specifically the cylindrical surface of a hole in tensile specimens. The two-fold objectives of this work were to develop improved experimental techniques and to provide experimental measurements for validation of a new, spline-based numerical analysis method. The research focused on the development and use of moiré interferometry techniques applied to the open hole problem in laminated composites. Strains along the edge of the hole were expected to vary extremely rapidly near ply interfaces. Moiré interferometry was chosen because the excellent spatial resolution and full-field nature of the technique would allow these rapid strain variations across a laminate thickness to be recorded. Much of the research builds upon the excellent research accomplishments of [1]. A comprehensive report of the research can be found in [2] which is available for download on the World Wide Web.
