Polymers and Composites

Polymers and composites are important construction materials in mechanical engineering. Their mechanical response is more complex than that of traditional materials such as steel. It is often non-linear, which requires care and expertise from the analyst. The same holds true for composites, for example fiber-reinforced polymers. Aspects such as the correct assignment of fiber orientations in the pre-processing of complicated composite layups are as important as the proper application of failure criteria suitable for predicting damage and failure in composite structures.