Thermal buckling and post-buckling response of imperfect temperature-dependent sandwich FGM plates resting on elastic foundation

Post-buckling behaviour of sandwich plates with functionally graded material (FGM) face sheets under uniform temperature rise loading is considered. It is assumed that the plate is in contact with a Pasternak-type elastic foundation during deformation, which acts in both compression and tension. The derivation of equations is based on the first-order shear deformation plate theory. Thermomechanical non-homogeneous properties of FGM layers vary smoothly by the distribution of power law across the thickness, and temperature dependency of material constituents is taken into account. Using the non-linear von-Karman strain-displacement relations, the equilibrium and compatibility equations of imperfect sandwich plates with FGM face sheets are derived. The boundary conditions for the plate are assumed to be simply supported in all edges. The governing equations are reduced to two coupled equation in terms of stress function and lateral deflection. Employing the single mode approach combined with Galerkin technique, an approximate closed-form solution is presented to calculate the critical buckling temperature and post-buckling equilibrium path of the plate. Presented numerical examples contain the influences of power law index, sandwich plate geometry, geometrical imperfection, temperature dependency, and the elastic foundation coefficients.