Beyond plain weave fabrics - II. Mechanical properties

A new formulation for mechanical analysis of 2D biaxial orthogonal woven fabric reinforced composite materials is proposed, as required by the wide variety of fabric types offered by the textile industry. Twill and satin weaves are defined as generic families of weaving patterns based on a general 3D geometrical model of the fabric architecture presented in Part I. Thermo-elastic material constants, progressive failure behavior, and strength are evaluated. The nonlinear stress-strain response and the strain to failure are predicted. Comparisons with available experimental data is presented. The present formulation is amenable for computer implementation in both analytical and numerical models. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.