Abstract
The data derived from the nonlinear and linear analyses of symmetrically laminated plates are compared, with the nonlinear solution of both clamped and simply supported laminated plates obtained using a finite-difference technique. The analytical results are substantiated by test results from model panels made from glass-epoxy composite and subjected to a uniform transverse air pressure. The agreement between the results thus obtained supports the use of the phenomenological approach in the realistic prediction of the various rigidities of a laminate.