Book excerpt: This book provides an introduction to the fundamentals of composite materials for high performance structures from the point of view of engineering design, manufacturing, analysis, and repair. It is designed to address eight critical areas of composite technologies. Readers will learn how composite materials achieve properties of strength, stiffness, weight ratios and durability that surpass aluminum in high performance structures. For these applications, engineers typically rely on laminated structures, which are built up from many varying layers of ply-materials. Using this process the mechanical properties of the composite part can be tailored to specific applications resulting in significant weight and cost savings. Tailoring specific properties and designing innovative laminate structures highlights the multidisciplinary nature of this industry.