Experimental Study on Large Deflections of Perforated Composite Plates

Abstract An experimental investigation on the large deflection of perforated composite plates is performed in this study. The fabrics of the composite plates are considered as unidirectional and woven. The effects of the variations in diameter, number and location of hole on plates are examined. The effects of the fabrics are also examined. One short edge of the composite plate is clamped, and a constant weight is hanged from the other short edge of the composite plate during the experiments. In order to prove the accuracy of the study done in the experiment, the large deflection analysis of the perforated plates is also made by the SolidWorks simulation program. SolidWorks simulation program is capable of performing large deflection analysis based on finite elements. When the results are examined, the large deflection is less in the woven type fabric and the large deflection value in the multi-hole specimens is higher than the single-hole ones. It is also determined that the increase in the distance of the hole position from the clamped end of the plate reduces the large deflection. As a result of the comparison of linear and nonlinear calculations, it is seen that non-linear calculation should be preferred especially if the applied force is large. When the experimental and the numerical results are compared, it is seen that the obtained results are compatible.