An experimental and finite element analysis of the static deformation of natural fiber-reinforced composite beam

This paper describes the application of the shadow moire method for direct measurement of the whole-field deformation of a cantilever beam, made from natural fiber-reinforced composite (NRFC) material, under static loading and comparison of the experimental results with those predicted using finite element analysis (FEA). The material properties required in the FEA were obtained by calculating the mean of the property values determined from three-point bending tests on several standard test specimens made from the material. The classical phase-shift technique was used in the shadow moire method to increase the measurement resolution. The comparison shows the existence of a non-zero gradient at the base of the cantilever in the measured deformation profiles probably due to the clamping conditions of the cantilever. However, the difference in deformation at the free edge is only 0.4 mm over a length of 160 mm. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.