Buckling and post-buckling of thin-walled stiffened panels: modelling imperfections and joints

This paper explores the effect of different modelling strategies to represent geometrical imperfections and joints in flat thin-walled stiffened panels during buckling post-buckling. Compression tests were performed on aircraft grade aluminium alloy jointed L-shape stiffeners using rivets with digital image correlation used monitor out-of-plane deformations, mode shape changes failures such as stiffener debonding. Experiments replicated finite element analysis employing levels complexity model geometric joints. The advantages limitations these are discussed recommendations made.