Postbuckling Behavior of 3D Braided Rectangular Plates Subjected to Biaxial Compression

Abstract

Postbuckling behavior of three-dimensional (3D) braided rectangular plates subjected to biaxial compression is presented. The 3D braided composite may be treated as a cell system, and the geometry of each cell is deeply dependent on its position in the cross section of the plate. Based on Reddy’s higher-order shear deformation plate theory and general von Kármán–type equations that include the initial geometric imperfection of the plate, a perturbation technique is employed to determine postbuckling equilibrium paths of 3D braided rectangular plates. The results reveal that the geometric and physical properties have a significant effect on the postbuckling behavior of braided composite plates.