1.1 This document specifies methods for determining the compressive properties, in directions parallel to the plane of lamination, of fibre-reinforced plastic composites, based on thermosetting or thermoplastic matrices. The compressive properties are of interest for specifications and qualitycontrol purposes. The test specimens are machined from a flat test plate, or from suitable finished or semi-finished products 1.2 Three loading methods and two types of specimen are described. The loading methods are: – Method 1: provides shear loading of the specimen (gauge length unsupported) – Method 2: provides combined loading of the specimen (gauge length unsupported) – Method 3: provides end-loading of a plain specimen (i.e. no tabs) (gauge length unsupported) NOTE 1 – For tabbed specimens loaded using method 2, load is transferred through a combination of endloading and shear-loading through the tabs. NOTE 2 – End-loading of un-tabbed specimens is used only for modulus measurement. The specimen designs are: – Type A specimen: rectangular cross-section, fixed thickness, end-tabbed (mainly for aerospace style preimpregnates (~ 0,125 mm ply thickness) – Type B specimen: rectangular cross-section, range of thicknesses, untabbed or end-tabbed, two specimen sizes are available (B1and B2). The type A specimen is the preferred specimen for unidirectionally or biaxially reinforced materials tested in the fibre direction, where the fibres are normally either aligned continuous or aligned long (>7,5 mm) discontinuous. The B1 and B2 specimen are preferred for multi-directional aligned; mat, fabric and other multi-directionally reinforced materials where the fibre structure is more complex and/or coarser.