Post-buckling analysis of cracked multilayered composite plates by pb-2 Rayleigh–Ritz method

A pb-2 Rayleigh–Ritz variational approach for the analysis of post-buckling behavior of cracked composite plates is presented. The plate is modeled by the first order shear deformation theory taking geometric nonlinearities into account through the von Karman’s theory. General stacking sequences are considered. Cracks are modeled by using subdomain decomposition of the plate coupled with penalty techniques, used to augment the variational statement with the needed continuity conditions along the connected subdomains edges. Numerical procedures have been developed and used to validate the present solution by comparison with available literature results. Original results are then presented for post-buckling solution of representative symmetric and unsymmetric multilayered plates with through-the-thickness cracks, showing the effects of large displacements on the cracked plate post-buckling behavior.