Buckling of trapezoidal plates

This study focuses on the buckling response of flat composite plates with an isosceles planform, as shown below. The study consisted of both analytical and experimental phases. In the study the parallel edges x = 0 and L were clamped or simply supported. Clamped parallel edges were used in the experimental phase of the study. The nonparallel edges were simply supported. The parallel edges were assumed to remain straight and buckling was assumed to occur because these edges moved toward each other. A Rayleigh-Ritz approach was used, with the finite-element code ABAQUS being used to check specific cases. The buckling displacements were assumed to be in the form of harmonic functions. The prebuckling force resultant N{sub x} was assumed to be given by N{sub x}(x,y) = P/W(x), where P is the applied load and W(x) is the varying width of the plate. N{sub y}(x,y) and N{sub x,y}(x,y) were taken to be zero. Experiments were conducted on a number of laminates and a number of plate geometries, and the results were compared to predictions of the Rayleigh-Ritz scheme. In general correlation was good, though the analysis underpredicted the number of buckling half-waves.