Three-dimensional layerwise-finite element free vibration analysis of thick laminated annular plates on elastic foundation

Using a three-dimensional layerwise-finite element method, the free vibration of thick laminated circular and annular plates supported on the elastic foundation is studied. The Pasternak-type formulation is employed to model the interaction between the plate and the elastic foundation. The discretized governing equations are derived using the Hamilton’s principle in conjunction with the layerwise theory in the thickness direction, the finite element (FE) in the radial direction and trigonometric function in the circumferential direction, respectively. The fast rate of convergence of the method is demonstrated and to verify its accuracy, comparison studies with the available solutions in the literature are performed. The effects of the geometrical parameters, the material properties and the elastic foundation parameters on the natural frequency parameters of the laminated thick circular and annular plates subjected to various boundary conditions are presented.     

Identifying the elastic moduli of composite plates by using high-order theories

The study aims to predict the elastic and damping properties of composite laminated plates from measured dynamical characteristics. The elastic constants and damping properties of a laminated element are determined by using experimental data and the results of a multilevel theoretical approach. Solution examples for particular problems are given. __________ Translated from Mekhanika Kompozitnykh Materialov, Vol. 44, No. 1, pp. 35–50, January–February, 2008.     

Identifying the elastic moduli of composite plates by using high-order theories. 2. Theoretical-experimental approach

The identification of elastic properties of laminated composite plates from measured eigenfrequencies has been performed. The elastic moduli of the laminates were determined by using a multilevel modeling and a two-step identification procedure. At the first step, based on a genetic algorithm, the Young’s and shear moduli were found, but at the second one, by minimizing an error function, the values of transverse moduli were refined. __________ Translated from Mekhanika Kompozitnykh Materialov, Vol. 44, No. 2, pp. 207–216, March–April, 2008.     

Large amplitudes free vibrations and post-buckling analysis of unsymmetrically laminated composite beams on nonlinear elastic foundation

The purpose of this paper is to present efficient and accurate analytical expressions for large amplitude free vibration and post-buckling analysis of unsymmetrically laminated composite beams on elastic foundation. Geometric nonlinearity is considered using Von Karman’s strain–displacement relations. Besides, the elastic foundation has cubic nonlinearity with shearing layer. The nonlinear governing equation is solved by employing the variational iteration method (VIM). This study shows that the third-order approximation of the VIM leads to highly accurate solutions which are valid for a wide range of vibration amplitudes. The effects of different parameters on the ratio of nonlinear to linear natural frequency of beams and the post-buckling load–deflection relation are studied.     

Elastoplastic stress analysis of thick laminated metal-matrix composite plates by the finite-element method

The elastoplastic stress state of a laminated stainless-steel-fiber-reinforced aluminum-matrix plates, with or without a hole, subjected to a pressure on their top is examined by using the finite-element method. The analysis is carried out for three layouts: (0/90/0/90)_s, (45/-45/45/-45)_s, and (30/60/30/60)_s. The Newton-Raphson method is used to solve the nonlinear problem. The distributions of equivalent stresses and the plastic zones of the plates without a hole and with a hole of various diameters are determined. Russian translation published in Mekhanika Kompozitnykh Materialov, Vol. 42, No. 4, pp. 531–544, July–August, 2006.     

Analysis of laminated composite plates using higher-order shear deformation plate theory and node-based smoothed discrete shear gap method

This paper presents a novel finite element formulation for static, free vibration and buckling analyses of laminated composite plates. The idea relies on a combination of node-based smoothing discrete shear gap method with the higher-order shear deformation plate theory (HSDT) to give a so-called NS-DSG3 element. The higher-order shear deformation plate theory (HSDT) is introduced in the present method to remove the shear correction factors and improve the accuracy of transverse shear stresses. The formulation uses only linear approximations and its implementation into finite element programs is quite simple and efficient. The numerical examples demonstrated that the present element is free of shear locking and shows high reliability and accuracy compared to other published solutions in the literature.     

Investigation of free vibrations of composite beams by using the finite-difference method

The free-vibration behavior of symmetrically laminated fiber-reinforced composite beams with different boundary conditions is examined. The effects of shear deformation and rotary inertia, separately and/or in combination, on the free-vibration properties of the beams are investigated. The finite-difference method is used to solve the partial differential equations describing the free-vibration motion in each case. The effect of shear deformation on the natural frequencies is considerable, especially for higher frequencies, whereas the influence of rotary inertia is less significant. The study includes comparisons with results available in the literature. In addition, the impact of such factors as the span/depth ratio, fiber orientation, stacking sequence, and material type on free vibrations of the composite beams is investigated. Russian translation published in Mekhanika Kompozitnykh Materialov, Vol. 42, No. 3, pp. 331–346, May–June, 2006.     

Levy-type solution for free vibration analysis of orthotropic plates based on two variable refined plate theory

Closed-form solutions for free vibration analysis of orthotropic plates are obtained in this paper based on two variable refined plate theory. The theory, which has strong similarity with classical plate theory in many aspects, accounts for a quadratic variation of the transverse shear strains across the thickness, and satisfies the zero traction boundary conditions on the top and bottom surfaces of the plate without using shear correction factors. Equations of motion are derived from the Hamilton’s principle. The closed-form solutions of rectangular plates with two opposite edges simply supported and the other two edges having arbitrary boundary conditions are obtained by applying the state space approach to the Levy-type solution. Comparison studies are performed to verify the validity of the present results. The effects of boundary condition, and variations of modulus ratio, aspect ratio, and thickness ratio on the natural frequency of orthotropic plates are investigated and discussed in detail.     

Buckling forms of homogeneous and sandwich plates in pure shear in tangential directions

The mathematical problem of the plane shear buckling form (BF) of sandwich plates and plates homogeneous across the thickness in pure shear is considered. The solution to this problem is compared with the solution to the problem of a flexural BF which is realized in these plates with the formation of oblique waves. It is established that, in the case of plates homogeneous across the thickness, the critical loads corresponding to the plane shear BF are maximum for isotropic ones. In real one-layer structural elements manufactured both of isotropic homogeneous and orthotropic composite materials, these critical loads cannot be reached since they exceed considerably the critical loads for the flexural BFs with oblique waves. The critical loads corresponding to the two BFs are comparable only for relatively thick plates. However, the plane shear BF can be realized in sandwich plates earlier than the flexural one even if the plates are thin. Translated from Mekhanika Kompozitnykh Materialov, Vol. 36, No. 2, pp. 215–228, 2000.     

Compressive and thermal postbuckling behaviors of laminated plates with piezoelectric fiber reinforced composite actuators

This paper studied compressive postbuckling under thermal environments and thermal postbuckling due to a uniform temperature rise for a shear deformable laminated plate with piezoelectric fiber reinforced composite (PFRC) actuators based on a higher order shear deformation plate theory that includes thermo-piezoelectric effects. The material properties are assumed to be temperature-dependent and the initial geometric imperfection of the plate is considered. The compressive and thermal postbuckling behaviors of perfect, imperfect, symmetric cross-ply and antisymmetric angle-ply laminated plates with fully covered or embedded PFRC actuators are conducted under different sets of thermal and electric loading conditions. The results reveal that, the applied voltage usually has a small effect on the postbuckling load–deflection relationship of the plate with PFRC actuators in the compressive buckling case, whereas the effect of applied voltage is more pronounced for the plate with PFRC actuators, compared to the results of the same plate with monolithic piezoelectric actuators.     

Buckling stability of multilayer plates and shells with interfacial structural defects under axial compression

Based on the discrete-structural theory of thin plates and shells, a variant of the equations of buckling stability, containing a parameter of critical loading, is put forward for the thin-walled elements of a layered structure with a weakened interfacial contact. It is assumed that the transverse shear and compression stresses are equal on the interfaces. Elastic slippage is allowed over the interfaces between adjacent layers. The stability equations include the components of geometrically nonlinear moment subcritical buckling conditions for the compressed thin-walled elements. The buckling of two-layer transversely isotropic plates and cylinders under axial compression is investigated numerically and experimentally. It is found that variations in the kinematic and static contact conditions on the interfaces of layered thin-walled structural members greatly affect the magnitude of critical stresses. In solving test problems, a comparative analysis of the results of stability calculations for anisotropic plates and shells is performed with account of both perfect and weakened contacts between adjacent layers. It is found that the model variant suggested adequately reflects the behavior of layered thin-walled structural elements in calculating their buckling stability. __________ Translated from Mekhanika Kompozitnykh Materialov, Vol. 43, No. 4, pp. 513–530, July–August, 2007.     

hp-Finite element for free vibration analysis of the orthotropic triangular and rectangular plates

The hp-version of the finite element method based on a triangular p-element is applied to free vibration of the orthotropic triangular and rectangular plates. The element's hierarchical shape functions, expressed in terms of shifted Legendre orthogonal polynomials, is developed for orthotropic plate analysis by taking into account shear deformation, rotary inertia, and other kinematics effects. Numerical results of frequency calculations are found for the free vibration of the orthotropic triangular and rectangular plates with the effect of the fiber orientation and plate boundary conditions. The results are very well compared to those presented in the literature.     

A homogeneous limit methodology and refinements of computationally efficient zigzag theory for homogeneous,laminated composite,and sandwich plates

The Refined Zigzag Theory (RZT) for homogeneous, laminated composite, and sandwich plates is revisited to offer a fresh insight into its fundamental assumptions and practical possibilities. The theory is introduced from a multiscale formalism starting with the inplane displacement field expressed as a superposition of coarse and fine contributions. The coarse displacement field is that of first‐order shear‐deformation theory, whereas the fine displacement field has a piecewise‐linear zigzag distribution through the thickness. The resulting kinematic field provides a more realistic representation of the deformation states of transverse‐shear‐flexible plates than other similar theories. The condition of limiting homogeneity of transverse‐shear properties is proposed and yields four distinct variants of zigzag functions. Analytic solutions for highly heterogeneous sandwich plates undergoing elastostatic deformations are used to identify the best‐performing zigzag functions. Unlike previously used methods, which often result in anomalous conditions and nonphysical solutions, the present theory does not rely on transverse‐shear‐stress equilibrium constraints. For all material systems, there are no requirements for use of transverse‐shear correction factors to yield accurate results. To model homogeneous plates with the full power of zigzag kinematics, infinitesimally small perturbations in the transverse shear properties are derived, thus enabling highly accurate predictions of homogeneous‐plate behavior without the use of shear correction factors. The RZT predictive capabilities to model highly heterogeneous sandwich plates are critically assessed, demonstrating its superior efficiency, accuracy, and a wide range of applicability. This theory, which is derived from the virtual work principle, is well‐suited for developing computationally efficient, C⁰ a continuous function of (x₁,x₂) coordinates whose first‐order derivatives are discontinuous along finite element interfaces and is thus appropriate for the analysis and design of high‐performance load‐bearing aerospace structures. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Numer Methods Partial Differential Eq 2010     

New benchmark solutions for free vibration of clamped rectangular thick plates and their variants

It is of significance to explore benchmark analytic free vibration solutions of rectangular thick plates without two parallel simply supported edges, because the classic analytic methods are usually invalid for the problems of this category. The main challenge is to find the solutions meeting both the governing higher order partial differential equations (PDEs) and boundary conditions of the plates, i.e., to analytically solve associated complex boundary value problems of PDEs. In this letter, we extend a novel symplectic superposition method to the free vibration problems of clamped rectangular thick plates, with the analytic frequency solutions obtained by a brief set of equations. It is found that the analytic solutions of clamped plates can simply reduce to their variants with any combinations of clamped and simply supported edges via an easy relaxation of boundary conditions. The new results yielded in this letter are not only useful for rapid design of thick plate structures but also provide reliable benchmarks for checking the validity of other new solution methods.     

Accurate vibration analysis of skew plates by the new version of the differential quadrature method

An accurate free vibration analysis of skew plates is presented by using the new version of the differential quadrature method (DQM). Eight combinations of simply supported (S), clamped (C) and free (F) boundary conditions are considered. Detailed solution procedures are given and key points for success by using the DQM are emphasized. A way to simplifying the programming in using the DQM is proposed. Convergence study is made for the simply supported skew plate with a large skew angle. Good convergence of frequencies is observed. The DQ results agree very well with the existing first known accurate upper bound solutions, obtained by using Ritz method taking into considerations of the bending stress singularities occurred at corners having obtuse angles. Since slight discrepancy between the DQ data and the known accurate solutions is observed for plates with large skew angles, the DQ results are also compared with data obtained by using finite element method with very fine meshes to verify their accuracy.     

Static response and free vibration analysis of FGM plates using higher order shear deformation theory

Free vibration and static analysis of functionally graded material (FGM) plates are studied using higher order shear deformation theory with a special modification in the transverse displacement in conjunction with finite element models. The mechanical properties of the plate are assumed to vary continuously in the thickness direction by a simple power-law distribution in terms of the volume fractions of the constituents. The fundamental equations for FGM plates are derived using variational approach by considering traction free boundary conditions on the top and bottom faces of the plate. Results have been obtained by employing a continuous isoparametric Lagrangian finite element with 13 degrees of freedom per node. Convergence tests and comparison studies have been carried out to demonstrate the efficiency of the present model. Numerical results for different thickness ratios, aspect ratios and volume fraction index with different boundary conditions have been presented. It is observed that the natural frequency parameter increases for plate aspect ratio, lower volume fraction index n and smaller thickness ratios. It is also observed that the effect of thickness ratio on the frequency of a plate is independent of the volume fraction index. For a given thickness ratio non-dimensional deflection increases as the volume fraction index increases. It is concluded that the gradient in the material properties plays a vital role in determining the response of the FGM plates.     

C0 FE model based on HOZT for the analysis of laminated soft core skew sandwich plates: Bending and vibration

Bending and free vibration behaviour of laminated soft core skew sandwich plate with stiff laminate face sheets is investigated using a recently developed C₀ finite element (FE) model based on higher order zigzag theory (HOZT) in this paper. The in-plane displacement fields are assumed as a combination of a linear zigzag function with different slopes at each layer and a cubically varying function over the entire thickness. The out of plane displacement is considered to be quadratic within the core and constant in the face sheets. The plate theory ensures a shear stress-free condition at the top and bottom surfaces of the plate. Thus, the plate theory has all of the features required for accurate modelling of laminated skew sandwich plates. As very few element model based on this plate theory (HOZT) exist and they possess certain disadvantages, an attempt has been made to check the applicability of the refined element model. The nodal field variables are chosen in such a manner that there is no need to impose any penalty stiffness in the formulation. Refined C₀ finite element model has been utilized to study some interesting problems on static and free vibration analysis of laminated skew sandwich plates.     

Exact analytic solutions to the problem on plane buckling modes of rectangular orthotropic plates with free edges under biaxial loading

A two-dimensional linearized problem on plane buckling modes (BMs) of a rectangular plate with free edges, made of an elastic orthotropic material, underbiaxial tension-compression is considered. With the use of double trigonometric basis functions, displacement functions exactly satisfying all static boundary condition on plate edges are constructed. It is shown that the exact analytic solutions found describe only the pure shear BMs, and if the normal stress in one direction is assumed equal to zero, an analog of the solution given by the kinematic Timoshenko model can be obtained. Upon performing the limit passage to the zero harmonic in the displacement functions of one of the directions, the solution to the problem of biaxial compression can be obtained by equating the Poisson ratio to zero; in the case of uniaxial compression, this solution exactly agrees with that following from the classical Bernoulli-Euler model. __________ Translated from Mekhanika Kompozitnykh Materialov, Vol. 43, No. 2, pp. 149–170, March–April, 2007.     

Buckling and free vibration analysis of thick rectangular plates resting on elastic foundation using mixed finite element and differential quadrature method

In this article, a combination of the finite element (FE) and differential quadrature (DQ) methods is used to solve the eigenvalue (buckling and free vibration) equations of rectangular thick plates resting on elastic foundations. The elastic foundation is described by the Pasternak (two-parameter) model. The three dimensional, linear and small strain theory of elasticity and energy principle are employed to derive the governing equations. The in-plane domain is discretized using two dimensional finite elements. The spatial derivatives of equations in the thickness direction are discretized in strong-form using DQM. Buckling and free vibration of rectangular thick plates of various thicknesses to width and aspect ratios with Pasternak elastic foundation are investigated using the proposed FE-DQ method. The results obtained by the mixed method have been verified by the few analytical solutions in the literature. It is concluded that the mixed FE-DQ method has good convergancy behavior; and acceptable accuracy can be obtained by the method with a reasonable degrees of freedom.     

Coupling of h and p finite elements: Application to free vibration analysis of plates with curvilinear plan-forms

This paper presents a method for coupling isoparametric cubic quadrilateral h-elements and straight sided serendipity quadrilateral p-elements. The p-elements are used to model the interior of the domain while the h-elements are used to describe accurately the curved boundaries. At a common side shared by a p-element and an arbitrary number of h-elements, the field variables are minimized in the least square sense with respect to the degrees-of-freedom of the h-elements. This leads to a set of equations which relate the degrees-of-freedom of the coupled elements on the shared side. The method is applied to the calculation of frequencies for plates with curvilinear plan-forms. The effects of shear deformation and rotary inertia are taken into account. The frequencies are obtained for a sectorial plate with simply supported radial edges and free circular edge, an annular sectorial plate with simply supported radial edges and clamped circular edges, and a circular plate with one concentric ring support. Furthermore, new accurate frequencies are given for a fully clamped square plate with a corner cut-out. Constant meshes are used and convergence is sought by increasing progressively the degree p of the interpolating polynomial. The fast convergence and high accuracy of the method are validated through convergence and comparison studies.