Some observations on the nature of fibre reinforced plastics and the implications for structural design

Abstract

Fibre reinforced plastics exhibit many phenomena not found in conventional construction materials and these can have a marked effect both on the performance of structures made from them and, by implication, on the way in which such structures are designed. This paper considers three of the more interesting phenomena, namely compressive behaviour, tensile notch sensitivity and transverse cracking in multidirectional laminates. The latter two phenomena both involve failure of the matrix or fibre/matrix interface which, perhaps paradoxically, has a beneficial effect in one case but is detrimental in the other. Although the paper refers primarily to carbon fibre-epoxy resin composites, the conclusions and design implications relate to a wide range of fibre reinforced materials.