Instability phenomena of a rectangular elastic plate under bending and shear

Abstract This paper focuses on the instability phenomena of an elastic rectangular plate under pure bending which emerge after the occurrence of the primary buckling. The mechanisms of this instability behavior are investigated phenomenally throughout the analysis of load-deflection simulations. The relationships between the characteristics of this instability and the boundary conditions of a plate are also discussed. The effect of initial deflections on the post-buckling paths and secondary instability phenomena is examined from the viewpoint of imperfection-sensitivity. Finally, it is presented that a plate also shows the similar instability phenomena when subjected to unequal bending and shear.