Finite element analysis of composite beam-column structures

• Main Author: Pan, Jiameng
• Other Authors: Chai Gin Boay
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: Nanyang Technological University 2024
• Subjects: Engineering; Buckling; Composites; Finite element analysis; FEA; Beam-column; ANSYS
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/10356/178204
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

This report investigates the effects of coupling and transverse loading on the bending and buckling response of laminated composite beam-column structures using Finite Element software, ANSYS. Coupling effects were induced by applying axial compressive loads on unidirectional laminates of varying ply fibre orientations and employing anti-symmetric laminates, while the extent of coupling was varied using different layering methods. Layering refers to the number of alternating group of plies with different fibre orientations that were used to form a laminate with a fixed overall thickness. Different stack-up methods such as angle-ply and cross-ply configurations were also utilized to assess how stack-up methods influence coupling by comparing critical buckling loads. Subsequently, a centrally applied out-of-plane transverse load of varying magnitudes was imposed onto the composite beam column structure to investigate how it impacts critical buckling load. The ANSYS model was validated using experimental results. The results obtained are subsequently presented in the form of charts and tables and interesting findings were also discussed