Decoupling effects - a novel method for composites characterization

The practice of mechanical characterization of composite materials demonstrates that there are at least two characteristics being very difficult to be determinate by experiments: in-plane shear modulus G(12) and F-12 coefficient of Tsai-Wu for failure criterion. The purpose of the study was to explore and subsequently establish experimental techniques for determination of these two mechanical characteristics by exploiting a very interesting phenomenon observed in composites mechanical answer: decoupling effects.