STRAIN MEASUREMENT IN FABRICS. PART V: A NON-CONTACT METHOD OF DETERMINING FINITE STRAINS – APPLICATION TO STRAIN FIELDS IN INDUSTRIAL TEXTILES

The method of measuring strain fields in fabrics, described earlier, is applied to an example of heavy industrial fabrics. The example chosen is that of heavy woven conveyor belts. Conveyor belts are limited in their load rating and fatigue life by the means used to join them together. Two forms of joint are used, mechanical joints and spliced joints. Experimentally determined strain fields are used to explain the mechanisms of failure of each type of joint, and to assess the effectiveness of a modified joint. Measurements of strains through the thickness of spliced joints are used to contribute to the understanding of failure mechanisms in such joints.