Numerical simulation on the influence of delamination on the critical buckling load of CLT panels

This work aims to evaluate the critical buckling load of panels made of cross-laminated timber, considering finite element simulations and different analytical methods of calculating the effective bending and shear stiffness. In addition, the effect of openings, pre-cracks, and adhesive strength on the critical buckling load is analyzed. Results indicate that the approach with thin external faces is both simpler and more effective. When estimating the bending and shear stiffness, the methods that show the least difference are the y-method and the shear analogy method, with the first of them being more conservative. The corrected Timoshenko method tends to overestimate the critical load. Moreover, using cohesive zone models embedded in finite element simulations, the critical load is reduced by an average of 10% due to the stiffness of the adhesive. Furthermore, when panels have adhesive-free edges, the critical load can be reduced by more than 50%.