Eur. Phys. J. B 27, 7-10 (2002)
https://doi.org/10.1140/epjb/e20020124

Secondary buckling patterns of a thin plate under in-plane compression

¹ Laboratoire de modélisation en mécanique (UMR 7607 du CNRS) , Université Pierre et Marie Curie, 4 place Jussieu, 75252 Paris Cedex 05, France
² Institut de recherche sur les phénomènes hors d'équilibre (UMR 6594 CNRS) , Universités Aix-Marseille I & II, 49 rue F. Joliot-Curie, BP 146, 13453 Marseille Cedex 13, France

Corresponding author: ^a alain.pocheau@irphe.univ-mrs.fr

Received: 22 January 2002
Published online: 15 May 2002

Abstract

We study the nonlinear deformations of a long rectangular elastic plate clamped along its edges and submitted to in-plane biaxial compression. Using the Föppl–von Kármán equations, we predict various secondary buckling modes according to the applied longitudinal and transverse compressions. A model experiment is carried out in a thin polycarbonate film, and the observed buckling patterns are found in good agreement with theory. Pattern selection in the delamination of compressed thin films is discussed in the light of these results.