Analysis of the decay of edge effects in laminated materials on the basis of a representative element

A model and design model for representative-element analysis of the decay of the Saint-Venant edge effects in laminated materials are proposed. The decay of the edge effect in a matrix with laminated covering (a composite material of irregular structure) is considered for the case of symmetric deformation. The source of the edge effect is simulated by a piecewise-constant surface periodic load normal to the layers. This load is local for the working domain and is varied within a boundary section that is commensurable with the characteristic size of the heterogeneity of the material structure. The equations of the linear theory of elasticity, a model of a piecewise-homogeneous medium, and quantitative criteria for identification of edge effects are used. A discrete model of the problem and its solution are constructed within the concept of basic schemes. Data on the zone of the edge effect and the character of its decay for a representative element of the material are analyzed.