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Design and Testing 1 Jul 2018

Shear testing of high-shear strength composite laminates

CW columnist Dan Adams compares three V-notched shear test configurations used to measure the shear stiffness and shear strength of composite materials.

Weaving 29 Mar 2018

Gripping composite test specimens: Options and guidance

Orthotropic behavior of composites test specimens makes load introduction uniquely challenging.

Sustainability 27 Dec 2017

What’s the most important type of mechanical test for composites?

When the opportunity arises, I like to ask those familiar with composites testing this question: What type of mechanical test do they consider to be the most important for composite materials?

Design and Testing 28 Sep 2017

Can flexure testing provide estimates of composite strength properties?

Flexure tests are simple to perform, yet the state of stress and failure modes are among the most complex.

Sustainability 28 Jul 2017

Choosing composite material testing methods

An initial step in selecting suitable test methods involves consulting the available test literature.

Design and Testing 31 Mar 2017

Best practices for V-notched shear testing of composites

In my October 2015 column, I wrote an overview of the widely used V-notched shear test methods for composite materials. In this column, we focus on some additional best practices when performing V-notched shear testing of fiber-reinforced composites.

Materials Testing 30 Dec 2016

Damage tolerance testing of composites

Not standardized until 2005, ASTM D 7137 is still commonly referred to as the Boeing CAI test.

3 Oct 2016

Damage-resistance testing of composites

Guest columnist Dr. Dan Adam's focuses on testing to assess the damage resistance of a composite laminate.

Materials Testing 29 Jun 2016

Bearing testing of composites

CW columnist Dr. Dan Adams (Wyoming Test Fixtures, Salt Lake City, UT, US) reviews the available options for testing the bearing strength of mechanically fastened composite joints.

Defense 30 Mar 2016

Notched testing of composites

Open-hole test methods were developed in the early 1980s to compare toughness increases in new composite materials.

Design and Testing 1 Jan 2016

Fracture mechanics testing of composites

Dr. Daniel O. Adams, professor of mechanical engineering and director of the Composite Mechanics Laboratory at the University of Utah, and vice president of Wyoming Test Fixtures Inc. (Salt Lake City, UT, US), addresses ways to acquire mechanical test data and then calculate the values for the composite material property of fracture toughness.

Braiding 30 Sep 2015

V-notched shear testing of composites

Dr. Daniel O. Adams, professor of mechanical engineering and director, for 18 years, of the Composite Mechanics Laboratory at the University of Utah, and VP of Wyoming Test Fixtures Inc. (Salt Lake City, UT, US), reviews the most popular V-notched shear test methods for composite materials.