The object of the research are short, thin-walled columns with an open top-hat cross section made of multilayer laminate. The walls of the investigated profiles are made of plate elements. The entire columns are subjected to uniform compression. A detailed analysis allowed us to determine critical forces and post-critical equilibrium paths. It is assumed that the columns are articulately supported on the edges forming their ends. The numerical investigation is performed by the finite element method. The study involves solving the problem of eigenvalue and the non-linear problem of stability of the structure. The numerical analysis is performed by the commercial simulation software ABAQUS®. The numerical results are then validated experimentally. In the discussed cases, it is assumed that the material operates within a linearly-elastic range, and the non-linearity of the FEM model is due to large displacements.

This study investigates the effect of eccentric compressive load on the stability, critical states and load-carrying capacity of thin-walled composite Z-profiles. Short thin-walled columns made of carbon fiber-reinforced plastic composite material fabricated by the autoclave technique are examined. In experimental tests, the thin-walled structures were compressed until a loss of their load-carrying capacity was obtained. The test parameters were measured to describe the structure’s behavior, including the phenomenon of composite material failure. The post-critical load-displacement equilibrium paths and the acoustic emission signal enabling analysis of the composite material condition during the loading process were measured. The scope of the study also included performing numerical simulations by finite element method to solve the problem of non-linear stability and to describe the phenomenon of composite material damage based on the progressive failure model. The obtained numerical results showed a good agreement with the experimental characteristics of real structures. The numerical results are compared with the experimental findings to validate the developed numerical model.

The paper analyzes the stability and failure phenomenon of compressed thin-walled composite columns. Thin-walled columns (top-hat and channel section columns) were made of carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) composite material (using the autoclave technique). An experimental study on actual structures and numerical calculations on computational models using the finite element method was performed. During the experimental study, post-critical equilibrium paths were registered with acoustic emission signals, in order to register the damage phenomenon. Simultaneously to the experimental tests, numerical simulations were performed using progressive failure analysis (PFA) and cohesive zone model (CZM). A measurable effect of the conducted experimental-numerical research was the analysis of the failure phenomenon, both for the top-hat and channel section columns (including delamination phenomenon). The main objective of this study was to be able to evaluate the delamination phenomenon, with further analysis of this phenomenon. The results of the numerical tests showed a compatibility with experimental tests.