ISSN: 0884-6804
CODEN: JCTRER
Page Count: 6

The Effect of Slots on the Buckling and Postbuckling Behavior of Laminated Plates
Starnes, JH
Head, Structural Mechanics Branch, NASA Langley Research Center, VA

Haftka, RT
Graduate research assistant (presently research associate) and professor, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, VA

Gürdal, Z
Graduate research assistant (presently research associate) and professor, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, VA

Abstract

An experimental study was conducted to evaluate the effect of lateral slots on the buckling response, the postbuckling response, and the failure characteristics of flat rectangular graphite-epoxy plates loaded in compression. The slots did not significantly affect the prebuckling and buckling behavior of the plates. The slots caused local changes in the strain distribution and out-of-plane deformations near the slot. Failure loads and modes were strongly affected by slot location. Centrally located slots did not affect the failure loads or failure modes of the plates. Slots located close to an unloaded edge of a plate reduced the postbuckling strength of the plate and affected the failure mode. For one slightly offset slot location, interaction of out-of-plane deformations with the slot tip was observed to affect the failure mode significantly without affecting the failure load.

Keywords:
composite materials, damage, cracks, slots, compressive loading, postbuckling, shear crippling

Paper ID: CTR10302J
DOI: 10.1520/CTR10302J
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