Effect of Intralaminar Inhomogeneity on Buckling Behavior of Woven Fabric Composite Laminates with Interlaminar Delamination

Carbon fiber–reinforced plastics are often used in the form of laminates. Intralaminar inhomogeneity is more pronounced in composites reinforced with woven fabrics than in unidirectional fiber-reinforced composites. Therefore, when interlaminar delamination occurs in a woven fabric composite laminate and a sub-laminate with a reduced number of plies is locally formed, the intralaminar inhomogeneity may influence the mechanical properties of the composite laminate. In this study, the buckling behavior of plain-weave fabric composite laminates containing an interlaminar delamination under compressive loading was examined using finite element analysis. The results indicate that accurate evaluation of both the buckling mode and the buckling load requires accounting for the intralaminar inhomogeneity within the delaminated region.