CLASSICAL LAMINATION THEORY

When plates are laminated from different materials, the mechanical response of the
composite needs to account for both the properties of the individual laminae and the
geometry in which they are arranged. For beams, the designer need only consider
properties along the longitudinal axis of the beam. However, plates experience
multiaxial loading and often involve both shear and normal stresses. If the laminates are
anisotropic, the analysis is further expanded from the laminated beam theory.
The composite plate is considered to act as a single layer. The analysis assumes perfect
interaction among the laminates which leads to continuity of tractions and strains. In
bending, this implies that planes remain plane and normals remain normal for the
laminate as a whole.
Stresses and Strain Variations with Thickness
In a thin plate, the strains at any location through the thickness of the laminate are a
function of centerline strains (0i), distance from the centerline (z), and curvatures (I):
x

y =

xy

x0
0
y +
0
xy

x

z y

xy

The stresses (I) within the kth laminate can then be calculated as:
x
Q11

y = Q12

xy k Q13

Q12
Q22
Q23

Q11
Q13 x

Q23 y + z Q12
Q13
Q33 k xy

Q12
Q22
Q23

Q13 x

Q23 y
Q33 k xy

z1
z2

zk-1
zk

Classical Lamination Theory

WSU CE 546

Laminate Stiffness Matrix

Because stresses vary among laminations, it is simpler to address the resultant forces (Ni)
and moments (Mi) acting on the entire laminate:
t/2

t/2

N x = x dz

M x = x zdz

t / 2

t / 2

t/2

t/2

N y = y dz

M y = y zdz

t / 2

t / 2

t/2

t/2

N xy = xy dz

M xy = xy zdz

t / 2

t / 2

Considering an orthotropic laminate:

N x t / 2 x
n


N y = y dz =
k =1
N t / 2
xy
xy

x

z y dz

k 1
xy

M x t / 2 x
n

M y = y zdz =
k =1
M t / 2
xy
xy

x

z y zdz

k 1
xy

zk

zk

To obtain the relations for resultant forces and moments as a function of applied strains:

Nx
Q Q12
n 11
N y = Q12 Q22
N k =1 Q
13 Q23
xy

Mx

My =
M
xy

Q11

Q12
k =1
Q13
n

Classical Lamination Theory

WSU CE 546

Q12
Q22
Q23

Q13

Q23
Q33 k

Q13

Q23
Q33 k

z 0
x
zk
k x0

y dz + y zdz
z k 1
z k 1 0

xy
xy

z x 0
k 0
y zdz +
z k 1 0
xy

x

z y z 2dz

k 1
xy
zk

These formulations can then be simplified to produce laminate stiffness matrices for
extension (Aij), coupling (Bij), and bending (Dij):

Nx

Ny =
N
xy

A11

A12
A16

A12
A22
A26

A16 x0

A26 yx0 +
A66 xy0

B11

B12
B16

B12
B22
B26

B16 x

B26 y
B66 xy

Mx

My =
M
xy

B11

B12
B16

B12
B22
B26

B16 x0

B26 yx0 +
B66 xy0

D11

D12
D16

D12
D22
D26

D16 x

D26 y
D66 xy

where:

Aij =

(Q ) ( z

Bij =

1 n
Q
2 k =1 ij

Dij =

1 n
Q
3 k =1 ij

ij

k =1

zk 1 )

( ) (z
k

( ) (z
k

zk 12 )

zk 13 )

In tensor notation, the total plate constitutive relation can be written as:

N
=
M

A B 0
B D

This constitutive relation must now be inverted to obtain strains (i) and curvatures (i)
from applied forces (N) and moments (M). First, separate the equations for both resultant
forces and moments:
N = [A]{0} + [B]{}
M = [B]{0} + [D]{}

Classical Lamination Theory

WSU CE 546

Considering only the resultant force component, we solve for 0:

0 = [A]-1{N} - [A]-1[B]{}
Substituting this identity for 0 back into the equation for moments:
M = [B][A]-1{N} - ( [B][A]-1[B] - [D] ){}

These relations can then be written in tensor format as:

0 A *
= *
M C

B * N

D *

where:
[A* ] = [A]-1
[B* ] = -[A]-1 [B]
[C* ] = [B][A]-1 = -[B]T
[D* ] = [D] - [B][A]-1[B]

This new relation for strains and resultant moments is then separated into its components:

0 = [A* ]{N} + [B* ]{}

M = [C* ]{N} + [D* ]{}
Considering the second of these relations, we then rearranged to solve for {}:
{} = [D* ]-1 {M} - [D* ]-1 [C* ]{N}

Classical Lamination Theory

WSU CE 546

This is then substituted into our relation for 0 to obtain:

{0} = ( [A* ] - [B* ][D* ]-1[C* ] ) {N} + [B* ][D* ]-1 {M}

We then can write a new constitutive equation in tensor notation as:

0 A
=
C

B N

D M

where:
[A] = [A* ] - [B* ][D* ]-1[C*] = [A* ] - [B* ][D* ]-1[B* ]T
[B] = [B* ][D* ]-1
[C] = -[D* ]-1[C*] = [B]T
[D] = [D* ]-1

Classical Lamination Theory

WSU CE 546