Buckling as a mechanical test for composite materials

The bending buckling test is often preferred to the classical 3-points or 4-points bending for the characterisation of damage in composite materials. Its analysis however requires a precise mechanical interpretation based on the classical post-buckling analysis. This interpretation is presented and discussed. Some applications are then presented, leading to the definition of a global bending damage variable and the description of its evolution for some unidirectional and layered composites.