Stresses in laminated composite annular disks subjected to a concentrated transverse edge load

Polar orthotropic and rectangular orthotropic annular disks are analysed for displacements and stresses when subjected to a concentrated transverse load at the free outer edge. The inner edge of the disk is assumed to be clamped. The material properties are varied and the resulting variation in the maximum displacements and stresses is studied. In the case of rectangular orthotropic annular disks, multilayered disks are analysed. It is shown that there is a very large improvement in the factor of safety as the number of layers with different fiber orientations is increased, so much so that a multilayered rectangular orthotropic annular disk has safer stress values than a polar orthotropic annular disk with radial fibres. The finite element method with sector elements is used for the analysis. © 1993.