Approximate Three-Dimensional Solutions for Symmetric Laminates Under Inplane Loading

A three-dimensional equilibrium finite element analysis is used to obtain approximate stress solutions for some finite symmetric laminates under inplane loading. The analysis is based on a comple mentary energy formulation. Obtained stress solutions at the center section of the laminate are compared with solutions for uniform axial strain that are available in the literature. A comparison of the stress distributions obtained at the center and end sections of the laminate shows that a large τyz stress can occur at the end section and a large τxz can occur at the center section. The influence of laminate stacking sequence on the predicted σz is also presented.