Two-step procedure for fast post-buckling analysis of composite stiffened panels

• A fast method for post-buckling analysis of composite stiffened panels is developed.
• Compression and shear loadings are taken into account.
• Computational efficiency is achieved thanks to the reduced number of DOFs.
• The comparison with numerical and experimental results is discussed.

The paper presents an analytical formulation for the post-buckling analysis of composite aeronautical panels with omega stiffeners loaded in compression and shear. The formulation relies on an energy principle and the method of Ritz. In the first step, the panel is an assembly of plate elements, and the buckling analysis is performed. In the second step, the panel is an elastically restrained skin, and the post-buckling behaviour is studied. The comparisons with finite element analyses and experimental results from the literature reveal the ability of the formulation to assess the post-buckling response.