DELAMINATION GROWTH AND BUCKLING IN AN ORTHOTROPIC STRIP

This study presents an analytical solution to the problem of delamination growth and buckling in an orthotropic strip. Growth of an initially imperfect delamination located in the midplane of the strip is addressed when the applied stress is below the bifurcation point. The results for the buckling stress are also provided in the case of perfect delamination surfaces. Delamination growth and buckling is a commonly observed failure mode in laminated structures; this type of failure mode may cause structural degradation or stiffness reduction and leads ultimately to premature failure at stresses well below the design levels for an undamaged laminate. Under compression loading, the nature of the delamination response, which involves the interaction of delamination growth and buckling, is addressed by employing the governing equations of elastic stability under plane strain assumptions. Solutions to the problem of an orthotropic strip with a through-width delamination subjected to uniaxial compression are obtained by using mathematical techniques appropriate for mixed boundary value problems.