Composite materials present many particularities and challenges when it comes to structural modelling. These challenges come from the anisotropic and nonhomogeneous nature of these materials combined with the continuity requirements of displacement and transverse stresses through the thickness, commonly named C 0 z requirements. The different approaches developed to assess the structural behaviour of composites can be divided into two major branches: displacement-based theories and mixed-formulation theories. Among the displacement-based theories, the most common approaches are: Equivalent Single Layer (ESLT), that includes the Classical Laminate Theory (CLT); Layerwise Theories (LT), that includes the ZigZag Theories (ZZT); Quasi-Layerwise Theories (QLT); and Global-Local Superposition Theories (GLST). The present paper discusses how these different displacement-based models handle the particularities of structural composites, highlighting the main advantages and disadvantages of each formulation, as well as their applicability to common structural problems.
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