MAE 4131 - Mechanics of Composite Structures

Spring. 4 credits. Letter grades only.

Prerequisite: MAE 3270, strictly enforced. Enrollment limited to: seniors or permission of instructor. Fulfills senior design requirement. Co-meets with MAE 4130.

M. Miller.

Covers the fundamentals of mechanical analysis and material selection for composite materials. Topics include an overview of composite types, advantages, applications and fabrication; anisotropic elasticity; specific composite constitutive equations including plane stress and lamination theory; failure analysis; boundary value problems using composite materials; experimental methods and an introduction to micromechanics. Lectures cover essential background material and theoretical developments. Labs provide hands-on experiences for understanding composite materials properties and performance. Senior Design report required.

Outcome 1: Students will understand the advantages, the potential applications and the fabrication methods associated with several classes of composite materials.

Outcome 2: Be able to conduct critical mechanical analyses associated with the deformation and failure of composites accounting specifically for characteristic property anisotropy.

Outcome 3: Be able to approximate composite mechanical properties based on properties of constituent phases. Understand mechanical tests employed to measure composite properties.

Outcome 4: Be able to properly select composite materials for mechanical designs and to understand the advantages and liabilities of employing composites over monolithic materials.