A top-down analytic approach for the analysis of edge effects of angle-ply symmetric laminates

A top-down approach has been proposed to achieve the free-edge stresses in a [θ/−θ]s rectangular laminate under a longitudinal tensile load. At the first stage, the laminate is subdivided into two antisymmetric parts and the upper one is analyzed by including an unknown twisting moment. This problem has been solved by extending an analytical solution for torsion of orthotropic laminates to antisymmetric laminates. At the second stage, the upper lamina was analyzed alone by including the shear force induced by the lower lamina. In this way, closed-form solutions for in-plane and out-of-plane stresses were obtained. The results for the case of a [45/−45]s strip have been compared to other analytical and numerical results. [θ/−θ]s laminates of different widths have been analyzed and analytical results have been compared with results obtained by the FEM, after applying the submodeling technique.