EFFECTS OF INTERNAL FLAWS IN STATIC AND DYNAMIC BEHAVIOR OF COMPOSITE PLATES

The finite element method was used to study the static (displacements), free vibration and transient response of composite laminated plate with and without defects using the Higher Order Shear Deformation Theory (HOST7). Two new models are suggested to represent the defects in composite laminated plates. The suggested models are checked experimentally by measuring the natural frequency of plates with and without defects. The plate is designed and prepared using fiber glass and epoxy resin. The results show that, the displacement increased and the natural frequency decreased when the defect occurs in the top and bottom layers. Also, increasing surface area of defect causes an increase in the maximum deflection and decreases the natural frequency. The present work shows good agreement with the results of the experimental investigation and the numerical solution.