Superposition of the notched strength of composite laminates

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Abstract
An improved macroscopic model for predicting the strength of a composite laminate containing a circular notch is developed. Two constants are introduced which uniquely determine the notch sensitivity of a given material. A superposition method for the notched strength of composite laminates is developed which allows data for arbitrary materials and laminate configurations to be superimposed upon a single master curve. The influence of material orthotropy upon notched strength is discussed. A relative notch sensitivity parameter is introduced which allows quantification of the notch sensitivity of a given composite material system, stacking sequence, or laminate configuration.