Anisotropic elastic tailoring in laminated composite plates and shells

Significant improvements in structural efficiency are possible using specific, inhomogeneous laminates. These are laminates whose stacking sequence has been optimized against constraints such as buckling, damage tolerance and natural frequencies. Furthermore, there are many design scenarios in which further gains can be made by making use of anisotropy, particularly when buckling or postbuckling is concerned. After a brief introduction to current design practice, buckling and postbuckling formulae are derived for anisotropic plates and shells, subject to different loadings. From these expressions, concepts for anisotropic elastic tailoring are discussed and their implications for design considered.