In this lecture Prof. C. Kassapoglou tells about how to design a composite stiffened skin, and considerations coming from the strengths and stiffnesses from the individual components and their interactions.

He starts by deriving equations for the loads a panel and a stiffener under compression can take individually, starting with the general equations for a composite plate and rewriting them to find the solutions for the buckling case. After the individual solutions are found, the general equations for a stiffened panel are derived. Finally the equations for inter-rivet buckling are derived.

Using these equations several conclusions will be drawn about limitations that are imposed on the design of such a stiffened plate, as well as other things that need to be taken into consideration.