beams for specified loads in Table 7.1. The strain fields for all the beams in each set (i.e. small, medium and large) were averaged and plotted in Fig. 7.4 with labels small, medium and large. For instance, the medium beams were loaded based on the loads specified in Table 7.1 and then the three strain fields were average and plotted in Fig. 7.4 as medium beam. As shown in Fig. 7.4, all three scales show a comparable level of normal strain for different loads regardless of their lamination schemes. This observation suggests that the designed beams using the structural similitude show a normal strain field similar to each other regardless of their scales and lamination scheme. The strain field of the small beams is representative of those of the medium and large beams and the prescribed loads based on the similarity analysis work accurately with different scales which induce the desired normal strain levels in the flanges of the beams. This observation is important as it suggests Fig. 7.4 Normal strain along the midline of the bottom flanges of the small, medium and large beams for different loading steps Fig. 7.3 Quasi-static flexural bending test setup for small beams (left), medium beams (middle) and large beams (right) 76 M.E. Asl et al.
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