Buckling of stretched strips

Flat plates subjected to tensile loads may buckle locally in the presence of geometric discontinuities such as cracks, holes or varying dimensions [Shaw D, Huang YH. Buckling behavior of a central cracked thin plate under tension. Engng Fract Mech 1990;35(6):1019-27; Gilabert A, ct al. Buckling instability and pattern around holes or cracks in thin plates under tensile load. fur J Mech A Solids 1992;11(1):65-89; Shimizu S, Yoshida S. Buckling of plates with a hole under tension. Thin-Walled Struct 1991;12:35-49; Tomita Y, Shindo A. Onset and growth of wrinkels in thin square plates subjected to diagonal tension. Int J Mech Sci 1988;30(12):921-31]. However, it appears to be surprising that even in the absence of any geometric discontinuity, buckling due to global tension occurs as a result of special boundary conditions. This effect can be observed during the stretching of thin strips, where high wave number buckling modes can affect large areas. In order to study this phenomenon and to find explanations, computational and analytical investigations were performed. A novel diagram for buckling coefficients is presented, enabling the determination of critical longitudinal stresses. (C) 2000 Civil-Comp Ltd. and Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.