Chapter 5

Classical Lamination Theory

Dr. Priyank Upadhyaya
ME F452
Composite Materials & Design
 Introduction
1. Linear elastic response of a laminated composite subjected to
in-plane loads and bending moments.
2. Individual layers are assumed to be homogenous.
3. Material is orthotropic/transversely isotropic.
4. Plane-stress conditions.
5. Typical global and local axis.
 Notation
1. z-axis is perpendicular to the plane of the laminate and positive
downwards.
2. The origin is located at the mid-plane of laminate.
3. Layer numbering goes from top-to-bottom.
4. 𝑘 𝑡ℎ layer has distinct thickness 𝑡 𝑘 and orientation 𝜃 𝑘 .
5. 𝑘 𝑡ℎ layer 𝑧-coordinates are: Top 𝑧𝑘−1 and Bottom 𝑧𝑘
6. Top surface of laminate: 𝑧0
7. Total thickness is 2𝐻. 𝐻

2𝐻
 Laminate Stacking Notation
1. Brackets []: Within brackets start with the top lamina (𝑘 = 1).
2. Slashes / : Separate distinct laminae with slash.
3. Subscripts n : For repetitions (𝑛 times) use subscripts.
4. Subscripts 𝑠 : For symmetric laminates.
 Assumptions in CLT
1. Perfectly bonded layers.
2. Each layer is homogeneous with known stiffness.
3. Material models: Isotropic, Trans-Isotropic or Orthotropic
4. Follows Kirchhoff-Love Hypothesis
 Normals remain straight
 Normals remain unstretched Thin versus Thick
 Normals remain normal
 Strain-Displacement Relation
From Kirchoff-Love Hypothesis
 Shear Strain 𝛾𝑥𝑦 = 𝛾𝑥𝑧 = 0
 Normal Strain 𝜖𝑧 = 0 ⇒ 𝑤 𝑜 = 𝑤 𝑥, 𝑦
For small deformations 𝜕𝑤
𝑢= 𝑢𝑜 −𝑧
𝜕𝑤 𝜕𝑥
tan 𝛼 ≈ 𝛼 =
𝜕𝑥
𝐁
𝑢 = 𝑢𝑜 − 𝑢′
𝛼

𝑧
𝐂 𝛼
𝑢′ 𝛼
𝑢′
= tan 𝛼
𝑧
 Strain-Displacement Relation
x displacement Normal Strains
𝑜 𝜕𝑤
𝑢=𝑢 −𝑧
𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑢 𝜕𝑢𝑜 𝜕2𝑤
y displacement 𝜖𝑥 = = − 𝑧 2 = 𝜖𝑥𝑜 + 𝑧𝜅𝑥
𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑥
𝜕𝑤
𝑣 = 𝑣𝑜 − 𝑧
𝜕𝑦 𝜕𝑣 𝜕𝑣 𝑜 𝜕2𝑤
z displacement 𝜖𝑦 = = − 𝑧 2 = 𝜖𝑦𝑜 + 𝑧𝜅𝑦
𝜕𝑦 𝜕𝑦 𝜕𝑦
𝑤 = 𝑤 𝑜 = 𝑤(𝑥, 𝑦)
𝜅 (kappa) are curvatures
Shear Strain
𝜕𝑢 𝜕𝑣 𝜕𝑢𝑜 𝜕𝑣 𝑜 𝜕2𝑤 𝑜 + 𝑧𝜅
𝛾𝑥𝑦 = + = + − 2𝑧 = 𝛾𝑥𝑦 𝑥𝑦
𝜕𝑦 𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑦 𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑥𝜕𝑦
 Mid-Plane Strains/ Curvatures
Mid Plane Strains
𝑜
𝜕𝑢𝑜 𝑜
𝜕𝑣𝑜 𝑜
𝜕𝑢𝑜 𝜕𝑣 𝑜
𝜖𝑥 = 𝜖𝑦 = 𝛾𝑥𝑦 = +
𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑦 𝜕𝑦 𝜕𝑥
Curvatures
𝜕2𝑤 𝜕2𝑤 𝜕2𝑤
𝜅𝑥 = − 2 𝜅𝑦 = − 2 𝜅𝑥𝑦 = −2
𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑦 𝜕𝑥𝜕𝑦

Total Strains at any 𝑧 location in a laminate

𝜖𝑥 𝜖𝑥𝑜 𝜅𝑥
𝜖𝑦 = 𝜖𝑦𝑜 + 𝑧 𝜅𝑦 𝜖 𝑥 = 𝜖𝑜 𝑥 +𝑧 𝜅 𝑥
𝛾𝑥𝑦 𝑜
𝛾𝑥𝑦 𝜅𝑥𝑦
 Stress in a Laminate
 𝜖 𝑜 and {𝜅} are associated with the laminate and are
independent of the 𝑧 coordinate.
 First terms represents the stresses due to mid-plane strains.
Second terms represents the stresses due to bending.
 The stress at any location, from the constitutive relation
𝜎 𝑥= 𝑄𝑘 𝜖 𝑥
𝑘
𝜎 𝑥 = 𝑄 𝜖𝑜 𝑥 + 𝑄 𝑘𝑧 𝜅
 Forces per Unit Length
Forces per unit length
𝐻 𝐻 𝐻

𝑁𝑥 = 𝜎𝑥 𝑑𝑧 𝑁𝑦 = 𝜎𝑦 𝑑𝑧 𝑁𝑥𝑦 = 𝜏𝑥𝑦 𝑑𝑧
−𝐻 −𝐻 −𝐻

Combining and writing in compact form

𝐻 𝐻
Forces on flat laminate
𝑁 = 𝜎 𝑑𝑧 = 𝑄 𝑘 𝜖𝑜 + 𝑄 𝑘 𝑧 𝜅 𝑑𝑧
𝑥
−𝐻 −𝐻

Integral can be converted into summation

𝑁 𝑧𝑘 𝑁 𝑧𝑘
𝑘
𝑁 = 𝑄 𝑑𝑧 𝜖𝑜 𝑥 + 𝑄 𝑘
𝑧 𝑑𝑧 𝜅 = 𝐴 𝜖𝑜 𝑥 + 𝐵 {𝜅}
𝑘=1 𝑧𝑘−1 𝑘=1 𝑧𝑘−1
 Forces per Unit Length
 Forces per unit length
{𝑁} = 𝐴 𝜖 𝑜 𝑥 + 𝐵 {𝜅}
 [𝐴] and [𝐵] are given by
𝑁 𝑁
1
𝐴 = 𝑄 𝑘 (𝑧
𝑘 − 𝑧𝑘−1 ) 𝐵 = 𝑄 𝑘 (𝑧𝑘2 − 𝑧𝑘−1
2
)
2
𝑘=1 𝑘=1

 [A] is in-plane stiffness. (Symmetric)

Depends upon layer 𝑡 𝑘 and 𝜃 𝑘 and not the stacking sequence
 [B] is bending-stretching coupling. (Symmetric)
Depends not only on 𝑡 𝑘 and 𝜃 𝑘 but also on the stacking sequence.
 Moments per Unit Length
Moments per unit length
𝐻 𝐻 𝐻

𝑀𝑥 = 𝜎𝑥 𝑧𝑑𝑧 𝑀𝑦 = 𝜎𝑦 𝑧𝑑𝑧 𝑀𝑥𝑦 = 𝜏𝑥𝑦 𝑧𝑑𝑧

−𝐻 −𝐻 −𝐻

Combining and writing in compact form Moments on flat laminate

𝐻 𝐻

𝑀 = 𝜎 𝑧𝑑𝑧 = 𝑄 𝑘𝑧 𝜖𝑜 𝑥 + 𝑄 𝑘 𝑧 2 𝜅 𝑑𝑧
−𝐻 −𝐻

Integral can be converted into summation

𝑁 𝑧𝑘 𝑁 𝑧𝑘
𝑘
𝑀 = 𝑄 𝑧𝑑𝑧 𝜖𝑜 𝑥 + 𝑄 𝑘
𝑧 2 𝑑𝑧 𝜅 = 𝐵 𝜖𝑜 𝑥 + 𝐷 {𝜅}
𝑘=1 𝑧𝑘−1 𝑘=1 𝑧𝑘−1
 Moments per Unit Length
 Moments per unit length
{𝑀} = 𝐵 𝜖 𝑜 𝑥 + 𝐷 {𝜅}
 [𝐷] is given by
𝑁
1
𝐷 = 𝑄 𝑘 (𝑧𝑘3 − 𝑧𝑘−1
3
)
3
𝑘=1

 [D] is bending stiffness. (Symmetric)

Depends not only on 𝑡 𝑘 and 𝜃 𝑘 but also on the stacking sequence.
 Laminate Constitutive Relation
 Forces per unit length
{𝑁} = 𝐴 𝜖 𝑜 𝑥 + 𝐵 {𝜅}
 Moments per unit length
{𝑀} = 𝐵 𝜖 𝑜 𝑥 + 𝐷 {𝜅}
 Combining force/moment in a single equation
𝑁 𝐴 𝐵 𝜖𝑜
=
𝑀 𝐵 𝐷 𝜅 𝑁𝑥 𝐴11 𝐴12 𝐴16 𝐵11 𝐵12 𝐵16 𝜖𝑥𝑜
𝑁𝑦 𝐴12 𝐴22 𝐴26 𝐵12 𝐵22 𝐵26 𝜖𝑦𝑜
𝑁𝑥𝑦 𝐴 𝐴26 𝐴66 𝐵16 𝐵26 𝐵66 𝑜
𝛾𝑥𝑦
= 16
𝑀𝑥 𝐵11 𝐵12 𝐵16 𝐷11 𝐷12 𝐷16 𝜅𝑥
𝑀𝑦 𝐵12 𝐵22 𝐵26 𝐷12 𝐷22 𝐷26 𝜅𝑦
𝑀𝑥𝑦 𝐵16 𝐵26 𝐵66 𝐷16 𝐷26 𝐷66 𝜅𝑥𝑦