Large deflection and stresses in variable stiffness composite laminates with curvilinear fibres

•Variable stiffness laminates with curvilinear fibres are modelled.•Deflections of laminates with curvilinear fibres under static loads are analysed.•Better stress re-distribution within a plate is achieved using curvilinear fibres.•Decreasing the stress in high-stress areas of the plate is attained.

Large deflection and stresses of variable stiffness composite laminated (VSCL) plates with curvilinear fibres are studied. In each ply of these plates, the fibre-orientation angle changes linearly with respect to the horizontal coordinate. The manufacturing restrictions that exist regarding the fibre curvatures in this type of laminates are taken into account. To carry out the analyses, a new p-version finite element, which follows third-order shear deformation theory, is employed. Deflections, normal and transverse (with constitutive and equilibrium equations) stresses are determined as functions of tow-orientation angles in the non-linear regime.