Experimental-numerical analysis of compressed thin-walled composite profiles with load eccentricity

Hubert Debski, Sylwester Samborski
Lublin University of Technology, Poland

Keywords: thin-walled structures, composites, buckling and post-buckling analysis, finite element analysis

The problem of stability of thin-walled structures has been intensively researched in numerous studies and application tests, particularly in the aircraft and automotive industries. The growing demand for hi-tech composite materials or – in the case of thin-walled structures – for fibrous composite laminates adds to the intensity of this research, with the studies investigating the strength and rigidity properties of these structures being particularly important. This is especially true with regard to thin-walled load-carrying structures, also known as primary structures. They include, among others, thin-walled composite profiles with complex cross-section shapes that are used in load-carrying structures to stiffen the coating of these structures. This study presents the results of research undertaken to investigate the post-buckling states and moment of failure of thin-walled composite structures with a complex open-section subjected to a uniform and eccentricity compressive load. The main aim of the investigations was to examine the work of these structures for the full load range, specifically with regard to short simply-supported columns prone to local buckling. The experimental results were then utilized to design FEM-based numerical models for analyzing the work of composite structures under fully compressive load. The research has been conducted under the project No UMO-2015/19/B/ST8/02800 financed by the National Science Centre Poland.