Effective properties of fiber-reinforced materials

A material consisting of a matrix in which aligned fibers of uniform circular cross section are embedded is considered. A method is developed for computing the effective axial shear modulus and transverse thermal conductivity (which are mathematically analogous) for such materials. The method, an approximate technique based on pairwise interactions, introduces a new consistency concept uniquely appropriate for this problem, and is universal in the sense that it is readily and quickly applicable to any fiber arrangement. It overcomes an apparent inconsistency in other interaction methods.