Optimized fiber prestress applied prior to and released after matrix cure can be used to reduce fiber waviness and thus elevate ply compressive strength, and to manage residual stress distribution for improved damage resistance of laminated plates and shells. Relatively small forces (<100 lbs) are needed to introduce significant prestress (>1000 MPa) magnitudes in standard fiber tows. Two topics will be discussed: (1)The effect of fiber prestress release on translation and expansion of damage envelopes in the overall stress space of elastic laminates. (2) Control of free edge stresses in elastic and viscoelastic laminates by optimized fiber prestress that keeps both interlaminar stresses at free edges and interior ply stresses within allowable limits. Nonlinear matrix creep is shown to cause additional translation and rearrangement of the damage envelopes at both ambient and elevated temperatures.
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