Short course/CPD
Composite Material Structures
Course date: Please enquire
Course overview
The analysis and design procedures of composite material structures are considerably more complex than those of their metallic counterparts. This is due to the anisotropic nature of typical laminated composite materials. To achieve safe and reliable composite structural systems, the composites designer/analyst needs to have a sound knowledge and firm grasp of the underlying principles of the structural response of composite materials. This course aims to provide the basic knowledge and understanding of the mechanics of composite materials in order to permit their efficient use in design applications.
Location
Cranfield University is located at the very heart of the UK – within the innovation triangle between London and the cities of Oxford and Cambridge.
Our central location provides easy access from the M1, excellent main line rail service as well as proximity to key international airports. Set in rolling countryside, Cranfield offers a rich, rural landscape complemented by thriving towns and picturesque villages.
- Road: We are just 10 minutes from Junctions 13 & 14 of the M1 motorway. There is free parking on campus.
- Rail: Milton Keynes or Bedford
- Air: London Luton (22 miles), Heathrow (50 miles) or Birmingham (70 miles).
Course fee:
£1740
Accommodation fee:
£445
£480
Accommodation is on a full-board basis from the evening before the course commences until the afternoon of the last day. The course fee includes refreshments and lunch during the day. The accommodation fee includes all other meals. Details of accommodation will be provided in the delegate information pack.
How to register
Further information
For more information on this course or booking details please contact:
Academic Operations Unit
T: + 44 (0) 1234 754192
E: shortcourse@cranfield.ac.uk
Course description
- To make engineers and designers aware of the problem areas pertaining to composites and to promote good design practice.
- To provide an understanding of the underlying principles and techniques associated with the stress analysis and strength predictions of composite material structures.
- To provide a hands-on experience of the solution methods and procedures pertaining to the analysis of real structural problems.
- To illustrate the influence of fibre orientation and stacking sequence in laminated construction in determining the optimal response to specified loading.
- To introduce the basics of impact damage and crashworthiness in composites.
Who should attend?
Anyone, who is interested in the application of composite materials for the development of efficient lightweight structural designs. The course would be suitable for new and experienced engineers and designers in the field of composites wishing to gain a sound knowledge base of the mechanics of composite materials and to gain hands-on experience of the analysis methods and procedures pertaining to actual composite structural elements.
- Military and Naval engineering staff.
- Aircraft/Aerospace engineers.
- Automotive/Racing car engineers.
- Civil and Structural engineers.
- Mechanical engineers.
- Research engineers.
- Stressing and Design engineers.
- Certification engineers.
- Accident investigation staff.
- Design and Technical management personnel.
Content summary
- Stiffness and compliance relationships.
- Engineering elastic constants.
- Modes of failure in composite laminates.
- Laminate stiffness and strength analysis.
- Temperature and moisture residual stresses.
- Thin-walled composite open sections.
- Thin-walled composite single- and multi-cell closed sections.
- Stiffened panel construction.
- Honeycomb sandwich panel construction.
- Axial, bending, shear and torsional loading.
- Buckling of laminated composite construction.
- Mechanical couplings in composite laminates.
- Optimisation methods for composite laminates.
- Principles of optimisation.
- Application of optimisation to laminate design.
- Simplified optimisation methods.
- Optimum lay-up configuration for buckling.
- Laboratory strength tests and modes of failure.
- Hands-on computer software analysis of laminate failure.
- Tutorial stressing and strength analyses of composite structural members.
- Basics of good design practice in composites
- Fatigue and damage tolerance of composite structures
- Local impact damage of composite structural elements.
- Basics of structural crashworthiness.
- Crash energy absorbers
Course Director
Jason C Brown
Senior Research Fellow
Department of Applied Mechanics
T: +44 (0) 1234 750111 ext. 5119
F: +44 (0) 1234 758217
E: j.c.brown@cranfield.ac.uk
