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     MAE 537 Mechanics of Composite Structures
 

Material properties of fiber reinforced composite materials are derived from both micro-mechanical and macro-mechanical perspectives. Classical plate theory, failure theories, buckling and vibration of laminated plates are covered. Manufacturing techniques and experimental testing procedures are also introduced. 3 credit hours

  
     

Prerequisite
  

Undergraduate course in Strength of Mechanical Components or Aerospace Structures.

 
Course Objectives  

This course serves as an introduction to the use of composite materials in modern structures. A brief background in the manufacturing and experimental testing of composites is given. The majority of the material covers the mechanics required to design composite laminated structures, including failure predictions.

 
Course Requirements  

Exams and homework are required.

Examinations: Two exams during the semester, One final exam.

Homework: Homework will be assigned on approximately a bi-weekly basis.

Software Requirements: Basic programming skills are required including the manipulation of matrices. FORTRAN, BASIC, C, C++, PASCAL, Mathematica, Maple, or MATLAB are acceptable.

 
Textbook  

Engineering Mechanics of Composite Materials, Isaac Daniel and Ori Ishai, Oxford University Press, 2006 (ISBN: 019515097X)

 

Computer and Internet Requirements  

NCSU has recommended minimum specifications for computers that are generally used for courses. Those specifications can be found here: http://www.ncsu.edu/it/compspecs/

Engineering Online recommends that your computer meets or exceeds the following minimum specifications below. A computer with greater capability (processor speed, RAM, internet bandwidth, disk capacity) will be more likely to properly display the video content of Engineering Online courses.

Windows:

  • Microsoft Windows XP, Windows 2003, or Windows Vista
  • Intel-compatible 1 GHz processor
  • 512 MB RAM
  • 60 GB hard drive with 1 GB free space available
  • Video display at 1024 x 768 or greater
  • Sound output and speakers
  • Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0 SP1 or later, Firefox 2.0 or later, or Google Chrome 1.0
  • Windows Media Player 9.0 or later
  • Real One Player Basic (required for certain courses)
  • Adobe Acrobat Reader
  • Broadband Internet connection (256 Kbps or more)

Mac OS X:

  • Mac OS X 10.4.8 or later
  • G4 processor
  • 512 MB RAM
  • 60 GB hard drive with 1 GB free space available
  • Video display at 1024 x 768 or greater
  • Sound output and speakers
  • Safari 2.0.4 (or later) or Firefox 2.0 (or later)
  • Silverlight  (viewers may be prompted to install this when first viewing a presentation)
  • Real One Player Basic (required for certain courses)
  • Adobe Acrobat Reader
  • Broadband Internet connection (256 Kbps or more)
  • NOTE:  The Flip4Mac plug-in causes problems when viewing Mediasite presentations and should be disabled.

Linux:

  • Playback of Mediasite presentations on Linux is accomplished via the Moonlight Project, an open source implementation of Microsoft Silverlight. For more installation on the installation and configuration of Moonlight, please visit http://www.go-mono.com/moonlight/. The compatible operating systems and browsers are listed on this page.
  • Microsoft Media Pack for Moonlight
  • Adobe Reader for Unix
  • Broadband Internet connection (256 Kbps or more)

 
Instructor  

Dr. Kara Peters, Associate Professor
Dept. of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering
North Carolina State University
4158 Broughton Hall
Campus Box 7910
Raleigh , NC 27695-7910

Phone: (919) 515-5226
Fax: (919) 515-7968
E-Mail: kjpeters@ncsu.edu
Instructor Website: http://www.mae.ncsu.edu/directories/faculty/peters.html