Estimates for the transverse shear modulus of unidirectional composites

From the geometry-dependent inequalities restricting the elastic moduli of two-dimensional isotropic composites based on minimum energy principles, geometry-independent estimates for isotropic and quasi-symmetric multicomponent materials are deduced. Also from the inequalities the exact value of the transverse shear modulus of Hashin-Rosen's coated cylinder assemblage is determined, which attains the bounds for general two-dimensional isotropic composites over large ranges of parameters. Respective estimates for the modulus of a multicomponent multicoated cylinder assemblage are obtained. (C) Elsevier, Paris.