An analytical model founded on geometric and potential energy principles for
kink band deformation in laminated composite struts is presented. It is adapted
from an earlier successful study for confined layered structures which was
formulated to model kink band formation in the folding of geological layers.
The principal aim is to explore the underlying mechanisms governing the kinking
response of flat, laminated components comprising unidirectional composite
laminae. A pilot parametric study suggests that the key features of the
mechanical response are captured well and that quantitative comparisons with
experiments presented in the literature are highly encouraging.