The effects of different fibre packing geometries on the transverse matrix strain magnification and fibre strain reduction in uniaxially aligned continuous fibre-reinforced composites

Expressions for transverse matrix strain magnification and fibre strain reduction are derived for square and hexagonal fibre array reinforced composites. Respective transverse matrix and fibre strain magnification and reduction, for the square arrays are shown to be higher for all reinforcing fibre volume fractions than those for the hexagonal arrays. The respective magnification and reduction of the transverse matrix and fibre strains are shown to decrease with increasing values of the ratio of elastic modulus ( Em/ Ef) for both reinforcing fibre arrays. The magnified transverse matrix strains in axially loaded longitudinally aligned continuous fibre-reinforced composites are shown to be higher than the applied longitudinal strains for all square array reinforcing fibre volume fractions and for all hexagonal array reinforcing fibre volumes fractions above 31%. This raises possibilities of longitudinal matrix splitting before interfacial bond failure and transverse matrix failure, in a strain based rather than stress-based failure mode.