Compressive buckling failure of laminates with a surface notch

The compressive macro-instability of laminates with a surface notch is expl ored through experiment and analysis. In order to observe the mechanical be haviour of the laminates with increasing load, both strain-gauge and acoust ic-emission techniques are used. For comparison, the equivalent unnotched s pecimens were also tested. Although both notched and unnotched specimens fa iled in the macro-buckling mode, there were still some distinct differences in the characteristics of the failure process. A simple expression for cal culating the critical stress is developed according to a reduced stiffness technique. The experimental and theoretical results show good agreement. (C ) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.