The objectives of this research are to validate current and proposed composite micromechanical models by direct experimental measurements and to determine the resulting stress state near damaged regions in materials subjected to tensile, compressive, and bending loads. This will be accomplished with a unique test methodology which employs a geometrically scaled up version of an polymeric composite containing embedded sensors. These sensors provide a direct and systematic approach to measure strain redistribution in a material and provides previously unobtainable baseline data which are essential in validating existing models and developing new ones.
