Size and scale effects in composites: I. Literature review

This paper is concerned with a review of the size and scale effects involved in the prediction of strength of fibre-reinforced-plastic (FRP) composite materials and structures. The review covers the basic principles in the establishment of scaling laws and the application of the Buckingham-Pi theorem. An analysis of various theories used in categorising size effects, such as the weak link, extended weak link and fracture mechanics approaches, is presented. This is followed by an examination of the literature devoted to scaling issues in FRP composites.