Buckling of Laminated Composite Plate

Laminated composite plates are made up of plates consisting of layers bonded together and made up of materials chemically different from each other but combined macroscopically. These have an application in aircrafts, railway coaches, bridges et cetera because they are easy to handle, have got improved properties and the cost of their fabrication is low. But their failure can lead to catastrophic disasters. And generally, the failure of these structures is due to the combined effect of excessive stresses on it and buckling. Hence the buckling behaviour of these kinds of plates should be analysed properly. Buckling behaviour of laminated composite plates subjected to in plane loads is an important aspect in the preliminary design of aircraft and launch vehicle components. Hence the study is important in order to know the buckling behaviour of such plates. The composite materials are advantageous to be used in comparison to conventional materials due to its excellent mechanical properties such as its durability, low density and corrosion-resistant characteristics. In this study, different boundary conditions, length/thickness ratio, stacking sequence, and ply orientation has been studied. Analysis was carried out with laminated composite rectangular plates. Results show the effect of different boundary conditions, orientation of layers and length/thickness ratio on the buckling load.