Prestressed composite structures – Modeling, manufacturing, design

This paper presents a preliminary research aimed at developing a comprehensive approach to modeling, manufacturing and optimal design of prestressed FRP composite structures. A simple and effective analytical model of prestressed composite is derived and further verified by two numerical models and the results of the experimental tests conducted on manufactured prestressed composite samples. The model reveals beneficial influence of prestress on strain and stress distribution in particular plies and resulting improvement of the global response of the composite. A design case-study of prestressed composite is presented and challenges related to design and application of more complicated composite prestressed structures are discussed.