Composite Structures International Conference On Composite Structures

Composite materials have aroused a great interest over the last few decades, as proven by the huge number of scientific papers and industrial progress. The increase in the use of composite structures in different engineering practices justify the present international meeting where researches from every part of the globe can share and discuss the recent advancements regarding the use of structural components within advanced applications such as buckling, vibrations, repair, reinforcements, concrete, composite laminated materials and more recent metamaterials. Studies about composite structures are truly multidisciplinary and the given contributions can help other researches and professional engineers in their own field. This Conference is suitable as a reference for engineers and scientists working in the professional field, in the industry and the academia and it gives the possibility to share recent advancements in different engineering practices to the outside world. This book aims to collect selected plenary and key-note lectures of this International Conference. For this reason, the establishment of this 20th edition of International Conference on Composite Structures has appeared appropriate to continue what has been begun during the previous editions. ICCS wants to be an occasion for many researchers from each part of the globe to meet and discuss about the recent advancements regarding the use of composite structures, sandwich panels, nanotechnology, bio-composites, delamination and fracture, experimental methods, manufacturing and other countless topics that have filled many sessions during this conference. As a proof of this event, which has taken place in Paris (France), selected plenary and key-note lectures have been collected in the present book.

It is well-known that the topic of composite mate- rials affects many engineering fields, such as civil, mechanical, aerospace, automotive and chemical. In the last decades, in fact, a huge number of scientific papers concerning these peculiar constituents has been published. Analogously, the industrial progress has been extremely noticeable. The study of composite materials, in general, is a challenging activity since the advancements both in the academia and in the industry provide continually new sparks to develop innovative ideas and applications. The communication, the sharing and the exchange of views can surely help the works of many researchers. This aspect represents the main purpose of this Conference, which aims to collect high-level contributions on the development and the application of composite materials. The establishment of this 21st edition of International Conference on Composite Structures has appeared appropriate to continue what has been begun during the previous editions. ICCS wants to be an occasion for many researchers from each part of the globe to meet and discuss about the recent advancements regarding the use of composite structures, sandwich panels, nanotechnology, bio-composites, delamination and fracture, experimental methods, manufacturing and other countless topics that have filled many sessions during this conference. As a proof of this event, which has taken place in Bologna (Italy), selected plenary and key-note lectures have been collected in the present book.

Nowadays, it is quite easy to see various applications of fibrous composites, functionally graded materials, laminated composite, nano-structured reinforcement, morphing composites, in many engineering fields, such as aerospace, mechanical, naval and civil engineering. The increase in the use of composite structures in different engineering practices justify the present international meeting where researches from every part of the globe can share and discuss the recent advancements regarding the use of standard structural components within advanced applications such as buckling, vibrations, repair, reinforcements, concrete, composite laminated materials and more recent metamaterials. For this reason, the establishment of this 19th edition of International Conference on Composite Structures has appeared appropriate to continue what has been begun during the previous editions. ICCS wants to be an occasion for many researchers from each part of the globe to meet and discuss about the recent advancements regarding the use of composite structures, sandwich panels, nanotechnology, bio-composites, delamination and fracture, experimental methods, manufacturing and other countless topics that have filled many sessions during this conference. As a proof of this event, which has taken place in Porto (Portugal), selected plenary and keynote lectures have been collected in the present book.

The papers contained herein were presented at the Second International Conference on Composite Structures (ICCS/2) held at Paisley College of Technology, Paisley, Scotland, in September 1983. The Conference was organised and sponsored by Paisley College of Technology in association with the Scottish Development Agency and the National Engineering Laboratory. It forms a natural progression from the highly successful First International Conference on Composite Structures (lCCS/l) held at Paisley in September 1981. The last few decades have seen phenomenal advances in research and of composite materials with new and exciting structural development possibilities being unearthed on an almost daily basis. Composites have been rightly heralded as space-age materials of the future. However, along with the rather specialised aerospace applications a growing awareness of the wider potential of composites is also unmistakable. The extensive composite materials research programmes of the fifties and sixties are now yielding fruit in abundance, with composites being used in virtually every area of structural engineering from transportation to pressure vessels and so on. Although significant weight savings, paramount in transportation engineering, are possible, composites have gone far beyond being simply lighter than conventional materials. They offer real structural advantages with almost unbounded potential. The ability to tailor a particular matrix material to suit prevailing environmental conditions whilst maintaining adequate reinforcement to withstand applied loading is unquestionably an attractive proposition.

The papers contained herein were presented at the Sixth International Conference on Composite Structures (ICCS/6) held at Paisley College, Scotland in September 1991. The Conference was organised and sponsored by Paisley College. It was co-sponsored by Scottish Enterprise, the National Engineering Laboratory, the US Army Research, Development and Standardisation Group-UK, Strathclyde Regional Council and Renfrew District Council. It forms a natural and ongoing progression from the highly successful ICCS/1/2/3/4 and 5 held at Paisley in 1981, 1983, 1985, 1987 and 1989 respectively. As we enter the final decade of this century many organisations throughout the world are adopting a prophetic role by attempting to forecast future scientific advances and their associated impact on mankind. Although some would argue that to do so is folly, without such futuristic visionaries the world would be that much poorer. IntelJigent speculation based on research trends and historical advances, rather than fanciful theories, breathes a healthy air of enthusiasm into the scientific community. Surely this is the very oxygen necessary to ignite the fir~s of innovation and invention amongst pioneers of research.

The papers contained herein were presented at the First International Conference on Composite Structures held at Paisley College of Technology, Paisley, Scotland, in September 1981. This conference was organised and sponsored by Paisley College of Technology in association with The Institution of Mechanical Engineers and The National Engineering Laboratory (UK). There can be little doubt that, within engineering circles, the use of composite materials has revolutionised traditional design concepts. The ability to tailor-make a material to suit prevailing environmental conditions whilst maintaining adequate reinforcement to withstand applied loading is unquestionably an attractive proposition. Significant weight savings can also be achieved by virtue of the high strength-to-weight and stiffness-to-weight characteristics of, for example, fibrous forms of composite materials. Such savings are clearly of paramount importance in transportation engineering and in particular aircraft and aerospace applications. Along with this considerable structural potential the engineer must accept an increased complexity of analysis. All too often in the past this has dissuaded the designer from considering composite materials as a viable, or indeed better, alternative to traditional engineering materials. Inherent prejudices within the engineering profession have also contributed, in no small way, to a certain wariness in appreciating the merits of composites. However, the potential benefits of composite materials are inescapable. The last two decades have seen a phenomenal increase in the use of composites in virtually every area of engineering, from the high technology v vi Preface aerospace application to the less demanding structural cladding situation.

The papers contained herein were presented at the First International Conference on Composite Structures held at Paisley College of Technology, Paisley, Scotland, in September 1981. This conference was organised and sponsored by Paisley College of Technology in association with The Institution of Mechanical Engineers and The National Engineering Laboratory (UK). There can be little doubt that, within engineering circles, the use of composite materials has revolutionised traditional design concepts. The ability to tailor-make a material to suit prevailing environmental conditions whilst maintaining adequate reinforcement to withstand applied loading is unquestionably an attractive proposition. Significant weight savings can also be achieved by virtue of the high strength-to-weight and stiffness-to-weight characteristics of, for example, fibrous forms of composite materials. Such savings are clearly of paramount importance in transportation engineering and in particular aircraft and aerospace applications. Along with this considerable structural potential the engineer must accept an increased complexity of analysis. All too often in the past this has dissuaded the designer from considering composite materials as a viable, or indeed better, alternative to traditional engineering materials. Inherent prejudices within the engineering profession have also contributed, in no small way, to a certain wariness in appreciating the merits of composites. However, the potential benefits of composite materials are inescapable. The last two decades have seen a phenomenal increase in the use of composites in virtually every area of engineering, from the high technology v vi Preface aerospace application to the less demanding structural cladding situation.