Axial compressive performances of stiffened composite panels: Experimental and numerical study

Abstract

Axial compressive performances of stiffened composite panel were studied in this manuscript. In experimental study, buckling phenomenon of three specimens appear at 413kN, 403kN and 403kN respectively while catastrophic failure appears at 964kN, 934kN and 970kN respectively. Thus average failure load is 2.35 times average buckling load, which indicate the large postbuckling capacity. Only local buckling appears in skin bay without buckling in stiffeners. Buckling strain and failure strain were proposed by the average value of several typical position strains at buckling and failure moment respectively. Average failure strain is −6483 με, which is 2.75 times buckling strain (-2354 με). The relationship between buckling and failure strain is similar to that of buckling and failure load. Failure modes contain debonding and fracture of stiffeners, the splitting and wrapped skin. In numerical study, finite element model considering the Hashin damage, cohesive element and geometry imperfection were built. Buckling load and failure load by FE results have −1.2% and −3.9% error compared to experimental ones, indicating the FE results have good accuracy. FE results show that debonding initiation is close to the moment of final catastrophic failure, about 92.7% failure load. Moreover, debonding area percentage have an accelerating increase trend with the compressive load increasing.