Thermal Shock of Cracked Glass-Fiber Reinforced Plastics at Low Temperatures

In this paper, we consider the thermal-mechanical stress problem of cracked G-10CR glass-epoxy laminates with temperature dependent properties. The layered composite is made of one cracked layer bonded between two other layers of different physical properties, and it is suddenly cooled at the surfaces. The ends of the crack are situated at equal distances away from the interfaces which are directed normal to the crack plane. The composite material in generalized plane strain is assumed. Fourier transforms are used to reduce the problem to the solution of a pair of dual integral equations. The solution of the dual integral equations is expressed in terms of a Fredholm integral equation of the second kind. Numerical results on the transient stress intensity factor are obtained and are presented in a graphical form.