CALCULATIONS OF THE ROOM-TEMPERATURE SHAPES OF UNSYMMETRIC LAMINATES

The cured shape of unsymmetric laminates do not always conform to the predictions of classical lamination theory. It is shown that, depending on the thickness of the laminate and the length of the side of the square, the saddle shape configuration is actually unstable. For values of length and thickness that render the saddle shape unstable, it is shown that two stable cylindrical shapes exist. The predictions of the theory are compared with existing experimental data.