The computer-aided holophotoelastic method

The computer-aided holophotoelastic method (CAHPM) is presented and validated. With it complete experimental stress analyses of transparent structures subjected to two-dimensional states of stress can be conducted based solely on experimental data without resort to either a hybrid, iterative, or other numerical procedure. The stress analysis is determined from photoelastic and holographic data, i.e., isochromatic, isoclinic, and absolute retardation results. The experimental setup and procedures are discussed and the algorithms used for the data reduction are also presented. The method is validated using a disk in diametral loading.