On the orientation of buckling direction of anisotropic elastic plate under uniaxial compression

The theory of small deformation superimposed on a large deformation of an elastic solid is used to investigate the buckling of anisotropic elastic plate under uniaxial compression. The buckling direction (the direction of buckling wave) is generally not aligned with the compression direction. The equation for determining the buckling direction is obtained. It is found that the out-of-plane buckling of anisotropic elastic plate is possible and both buckling conditions for flexural and extensional modes are presented. As a specific case of buckling of anisotropic elastic plate, the buckling of an orthotropic elastic plate subjected to a compression in a direction that forms an arbitrary angle with an elastic principal axis of the materials is analyzed. It is found that the buckling direction depends on the angle between the compression direction and the principal axis of the materials, the critical compressive force and plate-thickness parameters. In the case that the compression direction is aligned with the principal axis of the materials, the buckling direction will be aligned with the compression one irrespective of critical compressive force and plate-thickness.