COCOMAT—improved material exploitation of composite airframe structures by accurate simulation of postbuckling and collapse

European aircraft industry demands for reduced development and operating costs, by 20% and 50% in the short and long term, respectively. The 4-year running project COCOMAT contributes to this aim by reducing structural weight at safe design; it exploits considerable reserves in primary fibre composite fuselage structures by accurate and reliable simulation of collapse. Collapse is specified by that point of the load–displacement-curve where a sharp decrease occurs thus limiting the load carrying capacity. COCOMAT, which is supported by the European Commission within the 6th Framework Programme started on 1 January 2004. This paper deals with the main objectives and expected results of the project as well as the planned theoretical and experimental work.