Postbuckling response and failure prediction of flat rectangular graphite-epoxy plates loaded in axial compression

The objectives of the study are to assess the capability of a first-order shear deformable degenerated shell finite element theory to predict the postbuckling response and failure modes of various graphite-epoxy panels loaded in axial compression. Two panels without holes and one with a hole are studied, and the resulting responses and failure modes correlated well with the experimental results. A progressive damage failure mechanism is applied in the nonlinear analysis, which proved successful in predictions of failure location, mode, and load.