Abstract
The present paper treats the optimal design problems of laminated composite plates and shells based upon the netting theory in which the stiffnesses other than the longitudinal Young's modulus are neglected. Some stiffness characteristics are examined, that is, the vibration and buckling characteristics of laminated composite plates and the buckling characteristics of laminated composite cylindrical shells. Optimal laminate configurations for the vibration and the buckling are also obtained by using the netting theory and compared with the results based upon the lamination theory. Applicability and limitation of the netting theory to the laminated plates and shells are verified through the numerical examples.
