Whole-field strain measurement in a pin-loaded plate by electronic speckle pattern interferometry and the finite element method

The strain field in an epoxy plate loaded in tension through a steel pin is determined using electronic speckle pattern interferometry (ESPI) and the finite element method (FEM). In a dual-beam illumination speckle interferometer, the in-plane component of the displacement at the plate's surface is accurately measured using a four-step phase-shifting algorithm. Digital image processing algorithms have been developed for noise reduction and strain calculation directly in the computer from the phase map with a strain gage length of about 0.4 mm. A whole-field strain map is obtained, as well as distributions of strain concentration factor, in critical regions near the hole of the plate. FEM is used to perform a nonlinear contact analysis accounting for friction effects at the pin/hole interface. The agreement between experimental results and numerical predictions is good. In terms of speed, accuracy and ease of use, dual-beam ESPI appears to be a superior method of whole-field strain analysis.