Technical Data Search

[Konrad]

This question isn't directly related to the Stevenson boats, but there's a knowledge base here that may be able to point me in the right direction (PAR or Bruce, or another builder?)  I'd like to find a resource for comparing composite construction to "regular" wood frame construction.  Here's an example:

Let's say I have a regular old #2 pine 2x4, and I put it on edge.  It will have a certain load capacity before failure. 

Now let's say I take a similar board, but a 1x4, and do the same thing.  Let's say I put bidirectional carbon fiber fabric and epoxy on the sides of it.  It also will have a certain load capacity.

Which would be stronger? 

I realize this is a wildly simplified example, and many variables have been left out of it.  But that's the kind of data I'm looking for.

Any ideas where I can look?

[PAR]

Those types of decisions are engineering problems and usually easily solved with some research. There are several different books, which have material physical properties in them, often with application tables, such as free spans, cantilevers, amount of deflection under specific loading, etc.

When making a substitution such as your example, you have a target set of loads and strains you can accept, within your margin of safety. The new piece of composite uses enough of each material to provide similar loading capabilities as the former arrangement. Basically you look up what does what and incorporate it into your structure.

http://www.bookmarki.com/Engineering-Books-s/5.htm

Here's a place to start. Some of them are pricey, but other's usually more application specific will be less. You'll need a few different ones, depending on which materials you'll incorporate. One for wood, also maybe plastics or a book that covers both, which would also provide metals and other materials like masonry. It would be nice if one book could cover it all, but there's just so much info available the book would be imposable to write, let alone find something in. The book I use most often has 1,100 pages and though well organized, is often a pain to find things in. Thank God for post-it's, because I seem to use the same dozen or so pages. This book is a standard structural engineer's reference volume and more then a few hundred bucks, placing it out of reach for the casual user.