Buckling behavior of compression-loaded quasi-isotropic curved panels with a circular cutout

Results from a numerical and experimental study of the response of compression-loaded quasi-isotropic curved panels with a centrally located circular cutout are presented. The numerical results were obtained by using a geometrically nonlinear ®nite element analysis code. The e€ects of cutout size, panel curvature and initial geometric imperfections on the overall response of compression-loaded panels are described. In addition, results are presented from a numerical parametric study that indicate the e€ects of elastic circumferential edge restraints on the prebuckling and buckling response of a selected panel and these numerical results are compared to experimentally measured results. These restraints are used to identify the e€ects of circumferential edge restraints that are introduced by the test ®xture that was used in the present study. It is shown that circumferential edge restraints can introduce substantial nonlinear prebuckling deformations into shallow compression-loaded curved panels that can result in a signi®cant increase in buckling load