Delamination growth in buckled composite struts

Existing analytical models dealing with buckling and postbuckling phenomena of delaminated composites comprise one limitation: the restriction to stationary delaminations. In the current work, an analytical framework is presented which allows to model the postbuckling response of composites without such limitation. Therefore, the well-known problem of a composite strut with a through-the-width delamination is studied. The system is fully described by a set of I generalized coordinates. The postbuckling response for a stationary delamination is modelled using the conventional total potential energy approach. The postbuckling response for a non-stationary delamination, i.e. once delamination growth occurs, is modelled using an extended total potential energy functional in which the delamination length is expressed by the generalized coordinates and the load parameters. By solving the underlying variational principle the postbuckling response is obtained. Implementing the Rayleigh–Ritz method yields a set of non-linear algebraic equations which is solved numerically. Postbuckling responses for a cross-ply laminate are provided until the strut fails. Depending on delamination depth and length additional load bearing capacities of such composite struts are documented before failure due to unstable delamination growth occurs.