Analytical-experimental correlation for a stiffened composite panel loaded in axial compression

A combined analytical and experimental study of a blade-stiffened composite panel subjected to axial compression was conducted. The study first examined the effects of the differences between a simple model used to design the panel and the actual experimental conditions. It was found that the large imperfection used in the design process compensated for the simplifying assumptions of the design model, and the experimental failure load was only 10% higher than the design load. Next, finite element analyses were performed in order to correlate analytical and experimental results. The buckling loads from finite element analyses agreed well with the experimental failure loads. However, substantial differences were found in the out-of-plane displacements of the panel. Finite element simulations of nonuniform load introduction with general contact definitions improved correlation between the measured and predicted out-of-plane deformations.