Top-hat stiffened plates provide an efficient structure for engineering applications. During service debonding between the stiffener and the plate is often observed and parametric studies of open section stiffeners have shown that debond size and location have a significant effect on the damage mode of the panel. However, these studies do not consider the interaction of failure modes and do not assess the ultimate failure of the structure. In this paper top-hat stiffened composite structures are assessed considering debond damage between the stiffener and plate. A non-linear finite element model is used to perform a parametric study on the effect of both damage and the panel’s geometry on the failure modes, ultimate strength and its damage tolerance. Results show that top-hat stiffened panels exhibit a trend between ultimate strength and the debond size with crack initiation not necessarily propagating. Geometric imperfections accelerate buckling but can provide an arrest point for crack propagation.
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