On Variational Approaches to Plate Modes

The three basic functionals of potential energy, complementary energy and Hellinger–Prange–Reissner are usedto obtain a rational derivation of Reissner–Mindlinplate models, starting from the three-dimensional theory.We show that the models so obtained are instances of the same plate theory; nevertheless, due to the different constitutive relations governing their response, they mimic the three-dimensional behaviour in three different manners.