Material tailoring effects on buckling of asymmetric laminated beam-columns

The paper examines the effectiveness of material tailoring of asymmetric la minated beam-columns as a tool for enhancing their buckling resistance. The study is based on the analytical solution of the nonlinear buckling proble m for composite beam-columns subjected to combined compression and bending. Both regular and irregular asymmetric laminates composed of an arbitrary n umber of different material layers of equal or variable thickness are consi dered. It is shown that, within certain limits, the deformation response an d the buckling resistance of the structures can be controlled through a pro per selection of the number, stacking sequence and properties of the layers that make up the laminates.