Abstract :
Postbuckling solutions are obtained for multilayered strip delamination models subjected
to in-plane compression, bidirectional bending, twisting, and a temperature load that may vary
arbitrarily in the thickness direction. The differential equations of equilibrium, the end conditions
and the continuity conditions at the junction of the sublaminates are reduced to a system of algebraic
equations governing the deformation parameters. Besides providing closed-form postbuckling solutions,
these equations also reveal explicitly the effects on buckling due to various factors including
delamination geometry, anisotropic elastic and thermal expansion coefficients, in-plane force and
strain loads, bending and twisting curvatures, and the temperature field. A simple expression is
given for the energy release rate in terms of the mid-plane strains and the curvatures of the
sublaminates at the delamination front. A moderate temperature gradient in the thickness direction
may severely aggravate the postbuckling deformation and increase the energy release rate. ((" 1998
Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved
