ON PLANAR-TENSILE REPRESENTATION OF EDGE DEBONDING IN PATCHED PANELS UNDER PRESSURE

The suitability of representing the debonding behaviour of patched pan els under pressure by that of flat panels under in-plane tension is ex amined. Threshold curves for patched panels subjected to applied (inte rnal) pressure are generated numerically from the corresponding evolut ion equations and are expressed in terms of the membrane forces within the structure, resulting from the applied pressure. These are then co mpared with the corresponding curves for tension-loaded patched plates with similar geometries and support conditions.