A simplified teaching approach to the classical laminate theory of layered composite materials

Abstract

The classical laminate theory is a common engineering approach to investigate the mechanical response of layered composite materials. This two-dimensional approach and the underlying continuum mechanical modeling might be very challenging for some students, particularly at universities of applied sciences. Thus, a reduced approach, the so-called simplified classical laminate theory, has been developed. The idea is to use solely isotropic one-dimensional elements, i.e., a superposition of bar and beam elements, to introduce the major calculation steps of the classical laminate theory. Understanding this simplified theory is much easier and the final step is to highlight the differences when moving to the general two-dimensional case.