CIVIL ENGINEERING 414-2 MECHANICS OF COMPOSITE MATERIALS

Catalog description

This course covers the Mechanics of multi-directional structural laminates, lamination theory, effects of temperature and moisture, stress and failure analysis of structural composites, residual stresses, interlaminar stresses, stress concentrations, computational methods and computer programs for design, analysis and optimization of composite structures, and experimental characterization of composites.

Prerequisite: CEE 414-1, CEE 415 or consent of instructor

Who takes it

This course is a direct continuation of the introductory course CEE 414-1. Students in Civil and environmental, Mechanical and Biomedical Engineering as well as Materials Science and Engineering take this course.

What it's about

Apply mechanics of composites principles to structural configurations (laminates), learn and apply experimental methods for testing composites, introduce and apply computational methods for design and optimization of composite structures.

Course Outline:

• Experimental Methods
  • Testing and Characterization of Composite Material
  • Constituent Characterization
  • Lamina Characterization
• Elastic Behavior of Multidirectional Laminates
  • Lamination theory
  • General load-deformation relations
  • Laminate stiffnesses and compliances
  • Special types of laminates (symmetric, balanced, quasi-isotropic)
  • Computational procedures for determination of laminate elastic properties
• Hygrothermal Effects
  • Effects of temperature and moisture
  • Coefficients of thermal and moisture expansion
  • Hygrothermalistic stress strain relations
  • Stress analysis
  • Residual stress and warpage
  • Computational procedures
• Stress and Failure Analysis of Multidirectional Laminates
  • Stress analysis and safety factors
  • Failure analysis
  • Computational procedures for stress and failure analysis
  • Progressive and ultimate failure
  • Interlaminar stress and failure
  • Design methodology for composite structures
  • ICAN Interactive Composite Analysis program for design, analysis and optimization of composite structures.

Assessment/Evaluation:

There are regular homework assignments including a laboratory report. A mid-term open-book open-notes exam will be given. The final exam is a design optimization project using special software developed at Northwestern. Students work in designing different composite components/structures, such as a bicycle frame, a pressure vessel or torque coupling utilizing various composite materials.

Textbook:

Engineering Mechanics of Composite Materials, Second Edition, by I. M. Daniel and O. Ishai, Oxford University Press, 1994 Supplemented With handouts.

Contact:

Professor: Isaac M. Daniel
e-mail: imdaniel@northwestern.edu
Phone: 847-491-5649
Fax: 847-491-5227