Effects of Partial Edge Loading and Fibre Configuration on Vibration and Buckling Characteristics of Stiffened Composite Plates

Abstract In this work, the influence of uniaxial and biaxial partial edge loads on buckling and vibration characteristics of stiffened laminated plates is examined by using finite element method. As the initial pre-buckling stress distributions within an element are highly non-uniform in nature for a given loading and edge conditions, the critical loads are evaluated by dynamic approach. Towards this, a nine-node heterosis plate element and a compatible three-node beam element are developed by employing the effect of shear deformation for both the plate and the stiffeners respectively. In the structural modeling, the plate and the stiffener elements are treated separately, and then the displacement compatibility is maintained between them by using a transformation matrix. Effect of different parameters such as loaded edge width, position of loads, boundary conditions, ply-orientations and stiffener factors are considered in this study. Buckling results show that the uniaxial loaded stiffened plate with around (+30º/-30º)2 layup can withstand higher load irrespective of boundary conditions and loading patterns, whereas the maximum load resisting layup for the bi-axially loaded stiffened plate is purely dependent on edge conditions and loading patterns.