A refined buckling theory for the analysis of sandwich shells with transversely soft filler

A state of the art of the problem of buckling in sandwich structures is discussed and the shortcomings of some existing theories shown. A specified classification of the forms of stability is given and, in accordance with it, a refined theory for the study of the mixed forms of stability is formulated. Different models of the fillers are classified according to their stress–strain state. For the transversely soft model of the filler a set of geometrically nonlinear refined relations is derived. These relations are used to describe the subcritical instantaneous equilibrium of the sandwich plates in the case of both large and small changes in the shear stresses.