Interaction of Buckling Modes of Panels with Symmetric Cross Section

Abstract

This paper deals with the nonlinear interaction between overall buckling and local buckling of stiffened panels with symmetric cross sections. Significant consequences of local buckling are reductions in the compressive and flexural rigidities of the entire cross section. It is indeed the reduction of the flexural rigidity that is responsible for the adverse nonlinear interaction between overall and local buckling. It is argued that the restriction to a single local mode should be adequate whenever the reduction in flexural rigidity is comparable to the reduction in compressive stiffness. This argument does not apply to a symmetric cross section in which significant deflections in the primary local mode occur on both sides of the neutral axis. In such cases the analysis should be improved by taking into account a second local mode. In the present paper the interactions between overall and two local buckling modes (primary and secondary mode) are considered for both the perfect and imperfect panel. Applica...