Stress fields and energy release rates in cross-ply laminates

method to model the thermoelastic response of flat laminated composites using a large radius axisymmetric hollow layered cylinder model is presented. An axisymmetric concentric cylinder model and a fiat laminate model, each based on Reissnerʹs variational principle with equilibrium stress fields, are compared. The stress components and the governing equations of the axisymmetric concentric cylinder formulation for a cylinder of infinite radius are shown analytically to be equivalent to the fiat laminate formulation. Numerical results for the axisymmetric free edge stress field are shown to be nearly identical to the fiat laminate free edge stress field solution. Selected results for the elastic stress fields and energy release rates in composite laminates with free edge and/or internal delaminations and transverse cracking are presented. © 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd