Interlaminar Stress Singularities at a Straight Free Edge in Composite Laminates.

A quasi-three-dimensional finite element analysis was used to analyze the edge-stress problem in four-ply, composite laminates. The seven laminates that were considered belong to the laminate family THETA/THETA-90)sub s, where 0 < or = theta , or = 90. Systematic convergence studies were made to explore the existence of stress singularities near the free edge. The present analysis appears to confirm the existence of stress singularities at the intersection of the interface and the free edge. The power of the stress singularity was the same for all seven laminates considered. (MM)