Compressive Behavior of a Glass/Epoxy Composite Laminates with Single Delamination

The buckling and postbuckling behaviors of a composite beam with single delamination areinvestigated. a three-dimensional finite element model using the commercial code ansys isemployed for this purpose. the finite elements analyses have been performed using a linearbuckling model based on the solution of the eigenvalues problem, and a non-linear one based onan incremental-iterative method. the large displacements have been taken into account in thenonlinear analysis. instead of contact elements a new delamination closure device using rigidcompression-only beam elements is developed. effect of delamination length, position throughthickness and stacking sequence of the plies on the buckling and postbuckling of laminates isinvestigated. it has been found that significant decreases occur in the critical buckling loads after acertain value of the delamination length. the position of delamination and the fiber orientationalso affect these loads.