ABSTRACT
Engineering components frequently contain geometric discontinuities that give rise to highly localized stresses. Such geometric discontinuities range from holes or side notches to cracks. While solutions to many such cases are available for isotropic materials, the ability to obtain analytical solutions for such situations in orthotropic composites is significantly more challenging. Stresses now depend on material properties and perforated composites need not fail at the location of maximum stress. Furthermore, traditional finite-element analyses (FEA) around holes or notches require many small elements and appreciable computer storage capacity and run-time. Numerical FEA reliability is aggravated if the external shape and/or loading is complicated or not well defined. The nature of the orthotropy (directions of material axes) can influence where on the boundary of a cutout the maximum stress occurs, thereby necessitating even more elements. Classical moiré analyses of such problems can be hampered by difficulties in determining reliable experimental information on the boundary of a discontinuity. Since moiré interferometry typically measures displacements, the recorded data must be differentiated to get strains or velocities.
