Experimental analysis of buckling strength of notched aluminum plates reinforced using fiber metal laminate (FML) patches

Buckling failure is a quite common occurrence in plates under compression, in particular when the plate's thickness is small with respect to other plate's sizes. Such a mode of crisis can often precede strength failure. Nowadays, one of the most common types of repairs is done by attaching composite patches on the defeated surfaces. These patches have important advantages, such as high strength and corrosion resistance while their weight is low. In this investigation, experimental studies on the critical buckling load of the notched plates repaired by fiber metal laminate (FML) patches subjected to axial compression is carried out. For this purpose, the rectangular plates made by 2024T4 aluminum with central notches are considered. The desired parameters in this study are layer sequence, thickness and dimensions of the FML patches. The results show that an increase in buckling strength of the repaired parts. Smart choosing of the parameters results in an increase in the buckling load up to 44.13%.