On the buckling of cracked composite cylindrical shells under axial compression

Potential sensitivity of the buckling behavior of cracked composite cylindrical shells to service life cracking is explored by carrying out linear buckling analysis. Computational models of cracked composite cylindrical shells are developed by exploiting a special meshing scheme in which the element size is reduced incrementally from the element size employed in the uncracked region by approaching the crack tip. The effect of crack size and orientation, as well as the composite ply angle on the buckling behavior of cylindrical shells under axial compression is investigated. The results provide some insight into designing a composite laminate, which enhances the load capacity of cylindrical shells and minimizes their potential sensitivity to the presence of defects. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.