Buckling of composite cylinders under external pressure

Abstract Experimental results from buckling tests on thin shell structures made of filament‐wound glass fiber reinforced plastic are compared to values calculated with three different procedures. These procedures are: (1) a linear stability analysis for anisotropic, heterogeneous, thin, cylindrical shells, (2) a proposed design code, and (3) a national standard. Imperfection surveys in the circumferential direction were conducted and were found to be much larger than imperfections typical for metallic thin shells. All three procedures yield design pressures lower than observed buckling pressures. The analytical method and the standard are less conservative than the proposed design code and may possibly permit the fabrication of safe and more economical structures.