z

lt
t

lt
lt
lt
l
In-plane shear
a)

lt
t n
n maxi

n mini
lt lt

n maxi n mini
t
lt l
Shear fracture
b)

Figure 4.12. In-plane shear loading a) and appearance of shear

cracks along 45°-direction b)
 lt lt lt cusps

lt lt lt lt lt

lt

Fiber lt lt lt

45° cracks due to
shear loading

Figure 4.13. In-plane fracture: creation of cusps

Fibers
( 7 m)

Figure 4.14. Shear fracture: creation of cusps

in a carbon/epoxy UD [ROG 08]
 z

t
t
t

l t t
Transverse tension
z

100 m

a)

z
tz tz
t
tz tz tz
tz
tz
=
l tz
Out-of-plane shearing tz tz

tz tz
100 m
z

b)

Figure 4.16. Matrix cracking in transverse

tension a) and shearing b)
 z t
10 mm
l

10 mm

Figure 4.17. Characterization test of composite

under out-of-plane shearing
 z l
z l

t t

l l
l l
Longitudinal tension Longitudinal compression
z z

t t
t t
t t

l l
Transverse tension Transverse compression
z
lt
t

lt
lt
lt
l
In-plane shear

Figure 5.1. The five elementary stress states of a UD ply

 125

Maximum
tt stress

t (MPa)
0
lc lt

-125

tc

-250
-1600 -1200 -800 -400 0 400 800 1200 1600
l (MPa)

Figure 5.2. Maximum stress criterion

t l
y


x

x
x
Tensile test at 

Figure 5.3. Off-axis tensile test of a UD ply

Figure 5.4. Tensile stress limit of an off-axis UD ply

t l
y
xy
xy 

xy
xy
Shear test at 

Figure 5.5. Shear test of an off-axis UD ply

Figure 5.6. Shear limit stress of an off-axis UD ply
 t y l t l
xy t < 0
45° l > 0

x 
xy
l > 0
t < 0
xy > 0
t y l t l
xy t > 0
45° l < 0

x 
xy
l < 0
t > 0
xy < 0

Figure 5.7. Effect of the shear sign on

the fracture of a UD ply at 45°
 125
Maximum
Maximum strain
stress tt
t (MPa)

0
lc lt

-125

tc

-250
-1600 -1200 -800 -400 0 400 800 1200 1600
l (MPa)

Figure 5.8. Maximum stress and strain fracture criteria