ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the design of composite structures. It reviews the basic structural design process and addresses the important topics of materials selection, configuration selection, and joints. The chapter introduces laminate design and optimization and presents a simplified design philosophy. The many alternative manufacturing processes unique to composite materials and structures must be explored within the design process itself. In practice, factors of safety are, for various reasons, different for composite structures than for metal structures. Much of the developmental and applications work for composite materials has been focused on weight-sensitive structures such as aircraft. Some applications are made despite some disadvantages for composite materials in some of these material selection factors. Fibers are often regarded as the dominant constituents in a fiber-reinforced composite material. The more unusual aspects of composite structures include the details and the breadth of stiffener types as well as various reinforcements around cutouts and holes.
