A dynamic method for measuring the critical loads of elastic flat plates

A dynamic method is described for determining the linear buckling loads of elastic, perfectly flat, rectangular plates. The proposed method does not require the application of in-plane loads; it requires only vibrational excitation of the plate. The buckling load is determined from the measured normal modes of vibration. The method is applicable to isotropic as well as anisotropic plates with any type of edge support. The accuracy of the dynamic method was evaluated by tests in which buckling loads of aluminum and graphite fiber-reinforced-epoxy composite plates were determined both by the dynamic method and by imposing static in-plane loads on the plates. The results of the dynamic and static tests agree closely. A. Segall (on leave from RAFAEL, Israel)     

Lower bounds to fundamental frequencies and buckling loads of columns and plates

A general derivation of expressions for lower bounds to fundamental frequencies and buckling loads is given for the class of structures governed by linear elastic theory in the prebuckling state. These expressions involve two Rayleigh quotients both of which are upper bounds for the fundamental frequency under a prescribed load. The displacement trial functions must satisfy force and kinematic continuity but no other conditions are required. Thus, if appropriate high order base functions are used, the finite element procedure can be used to systematically narrow the difference between the upper and lower bounds.The theory is illustrated with several column and plate problems. The finite element method is applied to uniform and nonuniform columns with a representative set of boundary conditions. Elementary trial functions are used to show that reasonable bounds can also be obtained for plates subjected to known states of stress. Since the lower bound is obtained with a variation of the classical technique of Rayleigh, these results indicate that the method may be suitable for conservatively estimating buckling loads and fundamental frequencies of engineering structures.     

On the lower bounds for critical loads under large deformations in non-linear hyperelastic composites with imperfect interlaminar adhesion

The present paper investigates a mechanism of compressive fracture for heterogeneous incompressible non-linear materials with special kinds of defects of interfacial adhesion under large deformations. The analysis finds the lower bounds for the critical load. In order to calculate the bounds, the problem of the internal instability is considered within the scope of the exact statement based on the application of the model of a piecewise-homogeneous medium and the equations of the 3-D stability theory. The solution of the 3-D problem is found for the most general case accounting for large deformations and the biaxiality of compressive loads. The characteristic determinants are derived for the first four modes, which are more commonly observed. Special attention is given to the calculation of critical loads for hyperelastic layers described by a simplified version of Mooney's potential, namely the neo-Hookean potential.     

Lower bounds for the Hausdorff dimension of attractors

The existence of certainm-dimensional structures in a dynamical system implies that the Hausdorff dimension of its attractor is at leastm+1. A Bendixson criterion for the nonexistence of periodic orbits for systems in Hilbert spaces is found.     

Thermodynamical bounds to the elastic behaviour of elastic materials

We propose to exploit the second principle of thermodynamics in a different way from that usually followed in continuum mechanics. We study the consequences of this approach as far as the path-dependent character of the constitutive equations is concerned. The analysis leads us to infer that for materials capable of thermoelastic behaviour there are, in general, states of deformation beyond which a deformation process cannot occur without violating the second principle of thermodynamics. The relation between these states of deformation and those relevant to the yield limit is considered.     

Improved bounds for the elastic moduli of perfectly-random composites

New upper and lower bounds are constructed for the elastic moduli of a class of isotropic composites with perfectly-random microgeometries ([1–3]), which improve upon the bounds on the elastic shear modulus given in [1].     

Upper and lower bounds of buckling loads

Upper and lower bounds of buckling load for a nonuniform elastic column under conservative loading are considered. Compatible admissible moment and displacement functions are expressed in terms of a compatible coordinate system. The generalized Timoshenko Quotient and the modified Schreyer and Shih formula are the proposed upper and lower bounds. Both bounds when iterated converge to the exact buckling load. The method described here is simple and convenient and applies to all self-adjoint problems without exception.     

Instability of elastic bodies

The study of the equilibrium of systems constitutes an important chapter of applied mechanics. Since Euler’s works on beam buckling, in 1774, many eminent specialists studied the problem of the elastic instability of structures.An examination of many works published in this field shows a large number of approaches or criteria adopted by various authors. The objective of this study is to show through a classical example the link between the different approaches to provide a multi-level basis and to propose a valid global approach for conservative as well as nonconservative systems.     

On the general theory of stability for elastic bodies

This paper deals with the stability of loaded equilibrium configuration of elastic bodies, within the framework of nonlinear thermoelasticity. Although most of the results are obtained in the context of thermo-mechanical stability, the parallel developments for the purely mechanical stability are also considered. By use of an appropriate thermodynamic restriction, several theorems are proved concerning a sufficient condition for stability of the equilibrium configuration. These theorems hold under a general class of motions and their validity is not limited to small motions and small temperature changes from a loaded equilibrium state. Various generalizations of our main results are discussed and the reasonableness of the proposed stability criterion is demonstrated.     

General displacement and work bounds for dynamically loaded bodies

In recent years a number of writers have developed theorems which allow the evaluation of bounds on deformation properties of bodies subject to both static and dynamic loading. Some of these results have proved useful to structural designers in assessing structural performance, thereby obviating the need for a complete analysis. In this paper a general theory is described for small strains which brings together results for both quasi-static and dynamic loading, and also provides a theoretical framework within which a wide range of constitutive relationships may be discussed. The material behaviour is included through a functional property of the constitutive relationship which gives a generalization of the concept of maximum complementary work. A new result for impulsively loaded bodies is illustrated by examples involving elastic and elastic perfectly-plastic materials.     

Experimental critical loads for perforated square plates

Experimentally determined critical loads are presented for simply supported square plates with a circular central hole under the action of uniform edge displacements for hole diameters varying up to seventenths the dimension of the plate. The critical load is defined as the inflection point on the load-deflection curve as measured by a set of dial gages at the edge of the hole. Least-squares-curve fitting techniques are used for reducing all experimental data and the entire set of computations is carried out on the electronic digital computer. Finally, it is shown that the experimental results agree well with the theoretical critical loads as determined by the Ritz energy method.     

Strain energy density bounds for linear anisotropic elastic materials

Upper and lower bounds are presented for the magnitude of the strain energy density in linear anisotropic elastic materials. One set of bounds is given in terms of the magnitude of the stress field, another in terms of the magnitude of the strain field. Explicit algebraic formulas are given for the bounds in the case of cubic, transversely isotropic, hexagonal and tetragonal symmetry. In the case of orthotropic symmetry the explicit bounds depend upon the solution of a cubic equation, and in the case of the monoclinic and triclinic symmetries, on the solution of sixth order equations.     

Unified formulae of variational bounds for multiphase anisotropic elastic composites

Using the spherical and deviator decomposition of the polarization and strain tensors, we present a general algorithm for the calculation of variational bounds of dimension d for any type of anisotropic linear elastic composite as a function of the properties of the comparison body. This procedure is applied in order to obtain analytical expressions of bounds for multiphase, linear elastic composites with cubic symmetry where the geometric shapes of the inclusions are arbitrary. For the validation, it can be proved that for the isotropic particular case, the bounds coincide with those recently reported by Gibiansky and Sigmund. On the other hand, based on this general procedure some, classical bounds reported by Hashin for transversely isotropic composites, are reproduced. Numerical calculations and some comparisons with other models and experimental data are shown.     

Use of the parametrix method for estimating effective elastic moduli or randomly nonhomogeneous elastic bodies

The magnitude of the elasticity tensor of a comparison body remains unclarified if we use a singular approximation [1] to estimate the effective values of the elasticity tensor. Below we will use a parametrix method [2] to determine the first approximation of the random component of the deformation tensor and the effective values of the elasticity tensor, and will also compare the exact solution for one particular heterogeneous and a previously used approximation.Translated from Zhurnal Prikladnoi Mekhaniki i Tekhnicheskoi Fiziki, No. 1, pp. 171–175, January–February, 1976.