The buckling of an orthotropic layer bonded to an isotropic or orthotr
opic half-space subjected to compression loading under plane strain is
presented. Mechanics of incremental deformation, which considers the
effect of the initial stress field on the incremental stress field, is
applied to describe the buckling behavior of both the layer and the h
alf-space. The problem is converted to an eigenvalue-eigenvector case,
from which the critical buckling strains or stresses are obtained and
the effect of orthotropy on buckling is assessed. The results show th
at the effect of orthotropy becomes more obvious when the modulus rati
o, the ratio of longitudinal moduli of the layer to the half-space, is
less and that approximating the problem by using isotropic properties
for both the layer and the half-space will be unconservative and may
cause unexpected failure. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights re
served.