Postbuckling of anisotropic flat and doubly-curved sandwich panels under complex loading conditions

A study of the postbuckling behavior of geometrically imperfect anisotropic sandwich doubly-curved and flat panels subjected to a system of compressive edge loads and a lateral pressure is presented. The study is carried out in the context of the weak core sandwich shell model whose superior structural performance as compared to those of the strong core sandwich or standard laminated structures has resulted in its increased use in the design of advanced flight vehicles. A detailed investigation of the influence played by a number of kinematical and physical parameters as well as by the character of tangential boundary conditions on the load carrying capacity of sandwich structures is performed and pertinent conclusions are outlined. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.