Compression

Sudden sideways instability of a slender or thin-walled element under compressive load, occurring at stresses that can be far below the material's strength. Resistance to buckling depends on stiffness and geometry, which is one reason sandwich construction is used to stabilise thin composite skins.

A mode of loading that stretches a material along its axis. Fibres such as carbon and glass are most efficient in tension, which is why laminates are orientated so that the fibres carry the principal tensile loads.

A mode of loading in which adjacent planes of a material slide relative to one another, as in an adhesive lap joint or between the plies of a laminate. Shear properties often govern the design of bonded joints and sandwich cores.

A composite construction in which two thin, stiff skins are bonded to a thick, lightweight core such as foam, honeycomb or balsa. Separating the skins raises bending stiffness dramatically for very little added weight.