Flexural Analysis of Thin-Walled Composite Beams Using MATLAB Programming

The present study analyses the flexural buckling behavior of the composite laminated I beam using the classical lamination theory by developing a general analytical model subjected to vertical loading with simply supported and cantilever support conditions using MATLAB. The buckling analysis and flexural responses were studied for arbitrary symmetric and unsymmetrical laminate sequence configuration. The governing equations are derived from the total potential energy theory. Numerical results for deflection and critical buckling load are obtained for thin-walled composites I section beam under vertical loading for varying stacking sequences and support conditions were presented. Later the PSO optimization technique was used for optimizing the results obtained and the code developed was validated. It was observed that the results obtained by the present method and MATLAB code shows good agreement with the previous available results. The maximum deflection for composite beam for simply supported cases for [90/−90] orientation and minimum deflection for [0/−0] orientation ply angle composite beam. The maximum buckling load for composite beam for simply supported beam cases was obtained for unidirectional fiber angle laminate composite beams.