In general, structural failure comprises a combination of the material failing due to overstressing, which results in permanent deformation (plasticity) or fracture (cracks or delaminations), and the geometry being or becoming unsuitable, which results in structural instability (buckling) that may be triggered while the material is in the low-stress, elastic, range. A general structural stability theory that considers damage initiation and its growth has been practically non-existent. The DamBuckler project addresses this issue successfully by developing a novel structural stability formalism that enables the consideration of material damage within a structural stability analysis. Composite structures, for instance as used in the aircraft industry, are a prominent application example where buckling instability and material damage need to be accounted for in the design process. With the DamBuckler theory, such structures – vulnerable to simultaneous buckling instability and material damage – can be efficiently analysed. In the project, models predicting the compressive behaviour of composite panels, while considering various damage mechanisms, are developed. Such models can be used to determine damage allowable loads, i.e. applied loads causing damage growth and/or failure, as well as to study the stability behaviour under the presence of specific damage mechanisms. Thus, the DamBuckler project lays the foundation to contribute towards a more sustainable design of engineering structures by fully exploiting their load carrying capacity.
