---

Buckling and vibration characteristics of thin symmetrically laminated elliptical composite plates under initial in-plane edge loads and resting on Winkler-type elastic foundation are presented based on the classical laminated plate theory. The governing equations are obtained from the variational approach and solved by the Ritz method. Extensive numerical data are provided for the first three natural frequencies as a function of in-plane load for various classical edge conditions (free, clamped and simply supported). Moreover, the effects of fiber orientation on the natural frequencies and buckling loads of laminated angle-ply plates with stacking sequence of [(β /-β / β /-β)]s, are studied for chosen foundation parameter. Also, selected deformation mode shapes are illustrated. The accuracy of calculations is checked by performing good convergence studies, and the correctness of results is established by comparison with the existing results in the literature as well as FEM data.

---

In this paper an analytical approach for determining load distribution in single-column multi-bolt composite joints by considering elastic nonlinear behavior of the composite materials is presented. Load distribution was calculated by writing the governing equations of the motion. This closed form solution is an integration of spring-based models with nonlinear behavior of composite plate materials. Developed method is capable to calculate taken load by each bolt and its displacement by simultaneous solving of governing equilibrium equations of the system. This manuscript specifically focused on the influence of composite material nonlinearity on the load distribution of single bolted composite joints. For this purpose, load changes versus displacement are plotted by taking into account both the linear and nonlinear material behavior. The achieved results via suggested solution revealed that displacements were increased upto 2.5-5 percent in comparison with the results of linear method available in the literature. In addition, due to the manufacturing tolerances, bolt–hole clearances can vary within allowable limits and fits. Therefore the effect of bolt hole-clearance on the composite joints with linear and nonlinear material properties was also investigated.

---

The analysis of notched composite parts in a structure due to the existence of high stress concentration and undetermined behavior is an exigent issue. In this research, the progressive damage analysis has been applied to predict the failure of notched woven glass- epoxy composite laminates under tensile loading. Stress analysis and investigation of the effect of the hole size on it have been performed by the analytical and numerical methods. Developing an UMAT in the ABAQUS finite element package has made the utilization of the 3D progressive damage analysis feasible. Max. Stress, Yamada- Sun and Tsai- Wu failure criterions have been implemented to predict the damage initiation due to the absence of significant failure criteria for woven composites. Instantaneous and recursive property degradation methods have been used to simulate the damage propagation. The tensile characteristic distance has been computed without any experiments. The comparison of stress and failure analysis with experimental results shows good agreement. Finally, using tensile characteristic length obtained by progressive damage method, the possibility of safety factor determination in the composite joints in order to optimum design has been provided.

---

When a cylindrical shell subject to a compressive load, because of various imperfections happened during processes as manufacturing, handling, assembling and machining, buckling occurs in loads lower than corresponding static failure load. Still many of cylindrical shell structures are designed against buckling based on experimental data introduced by NASA SP-8007 as conservative lower bound curves. In the manuscript, non-linear methods of Modified Linear Buckling Modeshape Imperfections (M-LBMI) and Simple Perturbation Load Imperfections (SPLI) for composite cylindrical shell with and without cutout are investigated. In order to evaluate the numerical results composite cylinder with stacking sequence of [90/+23/-23/90] are manufactured by using filament winding method and buckling tests are performed under axial loading. Non-linear numerical results in cylinder with and without cutout are close together and have good agreement with experimental data. . It was concluded that buckling load predicted by SPLI and modified LBMI method on cylinder with cutout is close to result of case without apply geometric imperfections. In summary, it was concluded that cutout on the cylinder body act as an imperfection to trigger buckling of the structures so there is no need to apply geometrical imperfections.

---

In this paper, flexural behavior of composite sandwich beams under four point bending loading has been studied experimentally and numerically. The skins and the core of the sandwich composite beam have been made of woven glass/epoxy composites and polyvinylchloride foam with 70 kg/m3 density, respectively. The experiments were performed on the beams with different lengths and two different types of layup sequence for the skins as 0/90 and ±45. Failure was initiated in the beams due to indentation of the foam and extended to the face sheet failure under the loading roller. Numerical simulation of the sandwich beam has been performed using ABAQUS commercial software to verify experimental results. During the numerical simulations, the nonlinear material models were employed for shear stress-strain behavior modeling of the foam and the face sheets. In addition, due to the large deformation during bending test geometrical nonlinearity assumption was used in FE analysis. Failure initiation was predicted in the face sheets using modified Hashin criteria. Nonlinear stress analysis and failure predictions in the face sheets and the foam were conducted using USDFLD subroutine in ABAQUS software. Also crushable foam model was employed to simulate the plastic behavior of the foam core. The load-displacement curves and failure mechanisms predicted by the numerical simulations illustrated good correlation with the experimental data.

---

The sandwich panel is a combination of a soft core and two stiff, high-strength facesheets. In many cases, the connection between the facesheet and the core is considered as a critical point that can damages the integrity of the sandwich structure. In this study, the debonding toughness between the facesheet and the core in sandwich beams with grooved cores made of Kevlar 49/polyester facesheets and polyurethane foam core has been measured experimentally. The values ​​of the strain energy release rate obtained at the onset of crack growth for the tested specimens are in the range of 340 (J/Square meters) and increase with the crack growth up to 500 (J/Square meters). One of the innovations of the present study is to investigate the effect of grooving the core of the sandwich panel on the resistance of the structure to the growth of interfacial cracks. The results show that by placing the groove inside the core of the sandwich panel, the interfacial crack stops during growth by hitting each groove and requires higher force to restart its growth. This phenomenon increases the resistance of this type of structure against the growth of cracks in the face/core area. In this research, a model based on cohesive zone theory was used to simulate crack growth in the tested specimens. Comparison of load-displacement curves obtained from the analysis shows that the proposed model has a good ability to predict the behavior of the structure under similar loading conditions.

---

In this study, the residual strength of the carbon/epoxy composite plates exposed to the thermal cycles and subjected to low-velocity impact was evaluated using an experimental procedure. Composite plates with a layup of [45/0₂/-45/90₂]_s and thickness of 2.9 mm under three impact energy levels of 10J, 15J, and 20J and exposed to 200 thermal cycles in the range of -30 to 65° C went under low-velocity impact and compression after impact tests. In performing impact tests, a drop weight test device was used to investigate the behavior of damaged composites, force-time, force-displacement, and energy-time curves at all test temperatures were analyzed. Finally, the effect of temperature and associated damages at different levels of impact was evaluated using radiographic analysis and optical microscopy. Applying 200 thermal cycles in the temperature range of -30 to 65 ° C caused small cracks in the matrix and reduced the energy absorption of the samples. The highest drop in compressive strength is related to the highest impact energy, 20 J, which has a 31.12% decrease in strength. The thermal cycle at different impact energy levels of 10J, 15J, and 20J has led to an increase in the stiffness and compressive strength of the composite specimens. Finally, material parameters of the semi-empirical Caprino model to estimate the residual compressive strength of the carbon/epoxy plates under low-velocity impact and thermal cycles are obtained.

---

In the present research, classic micromechanical methods and their application as constitutive models in conjugation with incremental theory were developed. Using the modified Eshelby model, the Eigen strain concept in polymeric composite, and a modified form of self-consistent model the elastic properties of nanocomposites were predicted. Also, the stress-strain behavior of elastomer nanocomposites was calculated and validated by the experimentally determined ones. The results showed that the new model can predict the stress-strain behavior of elastomer nanocomposite at different particle volume fractions.