Effects of fiber misalignment and transverse shear modulus on localization and shear crippling instability in thick imperfect cross-ply rings under external pressure

The effect of transverse shear modulus on the compressive response of a thick plane strain cross-ply ring (very long cylindrical shell) weakened by the presence of a modal imperfection is investigated. The present study is primarily motivated to obtain the hitherto unavailable results pertaining to the effect of reduced transverse shear modulus, GLT∗, of a lamina weakened by the presence of randomly distributed fiber misalignments. A simple expression for the reduced transverse shear modulus, GLT∗, of a layer material is derived in terms of the average fiber misalignment angle. A fully nonlinear finite element analysis, that employs a cylindrically curved 16-node layer-element and is based on the assumption of layer-wise linear displacement distribution through thickness (LLDT), is utilized in the analysis of the afore-mentioned cross-ply ring. The interaction of a micro-structural defect in the form of initial fiber misalignments with its macro-structural counterpart represented by a modal imperfection is a key to understanding this meso-structural level phenomenon. Hitherto unavailable numerical results pertaining to the influence of this effect on the localization of buckling patterns and the ensuing shear crippling instability are also presented.