Approximate Stresses in an Orthotropic Plate Containing a Circular Hole

An approximate solution in the form of a polynomial is presented for the normal stress distribution adjacent to a circular hole in an infinite orthotropic plate. Comparison of the approximate solution to the exact solution, obtained from theory of elasticity, shows good agreement for a wide range of orthotropic stress concentration factors. The approximate solution is useful in assessing hole size effect on the notched strength of laminated orthotropic composite plates. The simplicity of the approximate solution gives the design engineer a useful tool for optimizing laminate construction in the presence of a circular hole.