An Analytical Formulation for the Prediction of Buckling and Post-Buckling of Composite Panels and Shells

This paper presents an analytical formulation for buckling and post-buckling prediction of composite panels and shells. Based on Donnel-Von Karman and Kirchhoff hypotheses, the formulation takes into account for an equilibrate and symmetric composite laminate model. After introducing the Airy functions, the equilibrium and compatibility equations are solved using the Galerkin method. The buckling and post-buckling solutions are obtained for flat panels, loaded by compression or shear, and for cylindrical shells, loaded by compression. The effect of the initial geometric imperfections is also considered. The analytical solutions are validated by non-linear finite element analyses.