As the need to reduce the cost associated with transportation increases, the need for lightweight, high-strength materials also increases. Laminated composites may offer a very good solution to this necessity. Composite materials may be tailored to meet specific strengths while reducing weight in ways traditional structural materials cannot. However, safety is another important factor which must not be overlooked, especially in an industry where human lives are concerned such as in the transportation industry. Vehicles used in transportation are often subjected to impact loading, both small and large scale. While large impacts often necessitate major repairs, small impacts are often overlooked. While small impulse (or impact) loading is not a concern for many materials (in fact impact on metals may be used to increase strength, e.g., shot peening), this type of loading may lead to catastrophic failure in laminated composites.
展开▼
