Interlaminar stresses of laminated composite beams resting on elastic foundation subjected to transverse loading

In the present study, static analysis of the interlaminar stresses and free edge effects in a laminated composite beam resting on the Winkler-type elastic foundation is discussed. Equilibrium equations under transverse load along with the appropriate boundary conditions are obtained by using the Reddy's layerwise theory. An approximate elasticity solution for a special case of the boundary conditions is developed to verify the validity and accuracy of the present theory. Various examples are presented for the interlaminar normal and shear stresses along the interface and through the thickness of the beam and numerical results for the free edge-clamped boundary conditions are obtained. Finally, the effect of various parameters containing the concentration of the load, stiffness of the elastic foundation and dimension aspect ratio on the interlaminar stresses is studied. Results show an excellent agreement between the layerwise theory and approximate elasticity solution and demonstrate that the magnitude of interlaminar stresses in this problem are significant and should be considered in the structural design. (C) 2014 Elsevier B. V. All rights reserved.