Transmission photoelasticity of centrally loaded generally and specially orthotropic beams

Transmission photoelastic patterns for generally and specially orthotropic beams and an isotropic beam are presented. Theoretical isochromatic and isoclinic results for these beams, calculated from classical elasticity stress equations and stress-optic laws, are also presented and compared with experiment. The agreement between the theory and experiment is excellent. For the orthotropic beams, a stressoptic law which accounts for the effects of residual birefringence was used. The residual birefringence observed for the composite used in this study is greater than one fringe order and results from a matrix residual tension which is about one fourth of the resin's ultimate tensile strength. Finally, the influence of such a large residual birefringence on beam and calibration photoelastic data is discussed in detail. Paper was presented at the 1986 SEM Spring Conference on Experimental Mechanics, held in New Orleans, LA on June 8–13.