LAUSR

Abstract This article investigates the large deflection and post-buckling of composite plates by employing the Carrera Unified Formulation (CUF). As a consequence, the geometrically nonlinear governing equations and the relevant incremental equations are derived in terms of fundamental nuclei, which are invariant of the theory approximation order. By using the Lagrange expansion functions across the laminate thickness and the classical finite element (FE) approximation, layerwise (LW) refined plate models are implemented. The Newton–Raphson linearization scheme with the path-following method based on the arc-length constraint is employed to solve geometrically nonlinear composite plate problems. In this study, different composite plates subjected to large deflections/rotations and post-buckling are analysed, and the corresponding equilibrium curves are compared with the results in the available literature or the traditional FEM-based solutions. The effects of various parameters, such as stacking sequence, number of layers, loading conditions, and edge conditions are demonstrated. The accuracy and reliability of the proposed method for solving the composite plates’ geometrically nonlinear problems are verified.