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Shear

A mode of loading in which adjacent planes of a material slide relative to one another, as in an adhesive lap joint or between the plies of a laminate. Shear properties often govern the design of bonded joints and sandwich cores.

Also known as: shear stress, shear loading

Related terms

Interlaminar shear strength

ILSS

The shear strength between the plies of a laminate, usually measured with a short beam shear test such as ISO 14130 or ASTM D2344. Low ILSS indicates poor fibre-to-matrix bonding or laminate quality, and correlates with susceptibility to delamination.

Composites & laminatesTesting & standardsAerospaceAutomotiveConstructionMarineGreen energyIndustrial

Tension

A mode of loading that stretches a material along its axis. Fibres such as carbon and glass are most efficient in tension, which is why laminates are orientated so that the fibres carry the principal tensile loads.

Materials science (general)AerospaceAutomotiveConstructionMarineGreen energyIndustrial

Compression

A mode of loading that shortens or squeezes a material. Compressive behaviour often limits composite structures because thin skins can buckle and fibres can microbuckle at stresses well below their tensile capability.

Materials science (general)AerospaceAutomotiveConstructionMarineGreen energyIndustrial

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