Abstract: A beam (20) comprising first and second flanges (23, 24), the beam (20) having a first region (28, 30) extending between the flanges (23, 24) and a second region (26) extending between the flanges. The first region (28, 30) is designed to support an applied concentrated shear load and the second region (26) is designed to support a predominantly bending load. The first region comprises a fan-shaped truss comprising a hub (36) adjacent the first flange and a plurality of struts (37) which extend substantially radially from the hub (36), and the second region (26) comprises either a truss structure which is substantially regular in the longitudinal beam direction or a shear web. The beam may, for example, be used as a floor beam for an aircraft fuselage.

Abstract: A beam (20) comprising first and second flanges (23, 24), the beam (20) having a first region (28, 30) extending between the flanges (23, 24) and a second region (26) extending between the flanges. The first region (28, 30) is designed to support an applied concentrated shear load and the second region (26) is designed to support a predominantly bending load. The first region comprises a fan-shaped truss comprising a hub (36) adjacent the first flange and a plurality of struts (37) which extend substantially radially from the hub (36), and the second region (26) comprises either a truss structure which is substantially regular in the longitudinal beam direction or a shear web. The beam may, for example, be used as a floor beam for an aircraft fuselage.

Abstract: A method for optimizing the mass of a composite panel composed of a plurality of uniform thickness zones, each zone defined by a vertical arrangement of plies, each arrangement having a different number of piles, and different orientation angles, where a positioning order of the plies has a given orientation angle with respect to the others in the vertical arrangement, and the proportion of plies has a given orientation angle with respect to all the plies composing the vertical arrangement. The optimization includes defining a lay-up table, and defining a vertical arrangement of plies for each uniform thickness zone, and starting from the lay-up table, building a function describing the physical properties of each zone as a function of the total thickness of each zone, where the total thickness for each zone is adjusted using a discrete variables iteration process, until the mass of the panel is a minimum.

Abstract: A method for optimizing the mass of a composite panel. The panel is composed of a plurality of uniform thickness zones, each zone defined by a vertical arrangement of plies having different orientation angles. The arrangement defined by a determined number of plies, a positioning order of the plies having a given orientation angle with respect to the others in the vertical arrangement, and the proportion of plies having a given orientation angle with respect to all the plies composing the vertical arrangement. The optimization includes defining a lay-up table. Defining a vertical arrangement of plies for each uniform thickness zone. Starting from the lay-up table, a function describing the physical properties of each zone of the composite panel is built, as a function of the total thickness of each zone, the total thickness for each zone is adjusted using a discrete variables iteration process, the aim of the process being reached when the mass of the panel is minimum.