Flexural analysis of laminated plates based on trigonometric layerwise shear deformation theory

ABSTRACT

A trigonometric layerwise shear deformation theory is developed for the flexural analysis of laminated plates. The present theory achieves in-plane displacement continuity, transverse shear stress continuity, and traction-free boundary condition. Hence, botheration of shear correction coefficient is neglected. The governing differential equation and boundary conditions are obtained from the principle of virtual work. Although the present analytical method is bounded to a corner supported boundary condition, it neglects the numerical and computational error. Like first-order shear deformation theory, the present theory possesses five numbers of unknowns. Several numerical predictions are carried out and results are compared with those of other existing numerical approaches.     

A new higher order shear deformation theory for sandwich and composite laminated plates

A new shear deformation theory for sandwich and composite plates is developed. The proposed displacement field, which is “m” parameter dependent, is assessed by performing several computations of the plate governing equations. Therefore, the present theory, which gives accurate results, is relatively close to 3D elasticity bending solutions. The theory accounts for adequate distribution of the transverse shear strains through the plate thickness and tangential stress-free boundary conditions on the plate boundary surface, thus a shear correction factor is not required. Plate governing equations and boundary conditions are derived by employing the principle of virtual work. The Navier-type exact solutions for static bending analysis are presented for sinusoidally and uniformly distributed loads. The accuracy of the present theory is ascertained by comparing it with various available results in the literature.     

A C-type higher-order theory for bending analysis of laminated composite and sandwich plates

In this paper, a C⁰-type higher-order theory is developed for bending analysis of laminated composite and sandwich plates subjected to thermal/mechanical loads. The total number of unknowns in the present theory is independent of number of layers. The continuity conditions of transverse shear stresses at interfaces are a priori enforced. Moreover, the conditions of zero transverse shear stresses on the upper and lower surfaces are also considered. Based on the developed higher order theory, the typical solutions are presented for comparison. It is very important that the first derivatives of transverse displacement w have been taken out from the in-plane displacement fields of the proposed model, so that its finite element counterparts may avoid using the C¹ interpolation functions. To assess the developed theory, the C¹-type higher-order theory is chosen for comparison. Numerical results show that the present model can accurately predict the thermal/mechanical response of laminated composite and sandwich plates. Moreover, the present model is able to accurately calculated transverse shear stresses directly from constitutive equations without any postprocessing methods.     

Analysis of laminated composite plates using a higher-order shear deformation theory

A higher-order shear deformation theory is used to analyse laminated anisotropic composite plates for deflections, stresses, natural frequencies and buckling loads. The theory accounts for parabolic distribution of the transverse shear stresses, and requires no shear correction coefficients. A displacement finite element model of the theory is developed, and applications of the element to bending, Vibration and stability of laminated plates are discussed. The present solutions are compared with those obtained using the classical plate theory and the three-dimensional elasticity theory.     

Static and dynamic analysis of laminated composite and sandwich plates and shells by using a new higher-order shear deformation theory

A new higher order shear deformation theory for elastic composite/sandwich plates and shells is developed. The new displacement field depends on a parameter “m”, whose value is determined so as to give results closest to the 3D elasticity bending solutions. The present theory accounts for an approximately parabolic distribution of the transverse shear strains through the shell thickness and tangential stress-free boundary conditions on the shell boundary surface. The governing equations and boundary conditions are derived by employing the principle of virtual work. These equations are solved using Navier-type, closed form solutions. Static and dynamic results are presented for cylindrical and spherical shells and plates for simply supported boundary conditions. Shells and plates are subjected to bi-sinusoidal, distributed and point loads. Results are provided for thick to thin as well as shallow and deep shells. The accuracy of the present code is verified by comparing it with various available results in the literature.     

Static and dynamic analysis of laminated composite and sandwich plates and shells by using a new higher-order shear deformation theory

A new higher order shear deformation theory for elastic composite/sandwich plates and shells is developed. The new displacement field depends on a parameter “m”, whose value is determined so as to give results closest to the 3D elasticity bending solutions. The present theory accounts for an approximately parabolic distribution of the transverse shear strains through the shell thickness and tangential stress-free boundary conditions on the shell boundary surface. The governing equations and boundary conditions are derived by employing the principle of virtual work. These equations are solved using Navier-type, closed form solutions. Static and dynamic results are presented for cylindrical and spherical shells and plates for simply supported boundary conditions. Shells and plates are subjected to bi-sinusoidal, distributed and point loads. Results are provided for thick to thin as well as shallow and deep shells. The accuracy of the present code is verified by comparing it with various available results in the literature.     

Dynamic stability of laminated FGM plates based on higher-order shear deformation theory

This paper conducts a dynamic stability analysis of symmetrically laminated FGM rectangular plates with general out-of-plane supporting conditions, subjected to a uniaxial periodic in-plane load and undergoing uniform temperature change. Theoretical formulations are based on Reddys third-order shear deformation plate theory, and account for the temperature dependence of material properties. A semi-analytical Galerkin-differential quadrature approach is employed to convert the governing equations into a linear system of Mathieu–Hill equations from which the boundary points on the unstable regions are determined by Bolotins method. Free vibration and bifurcation buckling are also discussed as subset problems. Numerical results are presented in both dimensionless tabular and graphical forms for laminated plates with FGM layers made of silicon nitride and stainless steel. The influences of various parameters such as material composition, layer thickness ratio, temperature change, static load level, boundary constraints on the dynamic stability, buckling and vibration frequencies are examined in detail through parametric studies.This work was fully supported by grants from the Australian Research Council (A00104534) and from the Research Grants Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China (Project No. CityU 1024/01 E). The authors are grateful for this financial support.     

Thermal buckling of cross-ply laminated composite and sandwich plates according to a global higher-order deformation theory

A two-dimensional global higher-order deformation theory is presented for thermal buckling of cross-ply laminated composite and sandwich plates. By using the method of power series expansion of continuous displacement components, a set of fundamental governing equations which can take into account the effects of both transverse shear and normal stresses is derived through the principle of virtual work. Several sets of truncated Mth-order approximate theories are applied to solve the eigenvalue problems of a simply supported multilayered plate. Modal transverse shear and normal stresses can be calculated by integrating the three-dimensional equations of equilibrium in the thickness direction, and satisfying the continuity conditions at the interface between layers and stress boundary conditions at the external surfaces. Numerical results are compared with those of the published three-dimensional layerwise theory in which both in-plane and normal displacements are assumed to be C⁰ continuous in the continuity conditions at the interface between layers. Effects of the difference of displacement continuity conditions between the three-dimensional layerwise theory and the global higher-order theory are clarified in thermal buckling problems of multilayered composite plates.     

A new shear and normal deformation theory for isotropic,transversely isotropic,laminated composite and sandwich plates

In the present study, a sinusoidal shear and normal deformation theory taking into account effects of transverse shear as well as transverse normal is used to develop the analytical solution for the bidirectional bending analysis of isotropic, transversely isotropic, laminated composite and sandwich rectangular plates. The theory accounts for adequate distribution of the transverse shear strains through the plate thickness and traction free boundary conditions on the plate boundary surface, thus a shear correction factor is not required. The displacement field uses sinusoidal function in terms of thickness coordinate to include the effect of transverse shear and the cosine function in terms of thickness coordinate is used in transverse displacement to include the effect of transverse normal. The kinematics of the present theory is much richer than those of the other higher order shear deformation theories, because if the trigonometric term is expanded in power series, the kinematics of higher order theories are implicitly taken into account to good deal of extent. Governing equations and boundary conditions of the theory are obtained using the principle of virtual work. The Navier solution for simply supported laminated composite plates has been developed. Results obtained for displacements and stresses of simply supported rectangular plates are compared with those of other refined theories and exact elasticity solution wherever applicable.     

A Computationally viable higher-order theory for laminated composite plates

A variational higher-order theory involving all transverse strain and stress components is proposed for the analysis of laminated composite plates. Derived from three-dimensional elasticity with emphasis on developing a viable computational methodology, the theory is well suited for finite element approximations as it incorporates both C⁰ and C^?1 continuous kinematic fields and Poisson boundary conditions. From the theory, a simple three-node stretching-bending finite element is developed and applied to the problem of cylindrical bending of a symmetric carbon/epoxy laminate for which an exact solution is available. Both the analytic and finite element results were found to be in excellent agreement with the exact solution for a wide range of the length-to-thickness ratio. The proposed higher-order theory has the same computational advantages as first-order shear-deformable theories. The present methodology, however, provides greater predictive capabilities, especially, for thick-section composites.     

Free vibration analysis of composite sandwich plates based on Reddy's higher-order theory

Two new C⁰ assumed strain finite element formulations of Reddy's higher-order theory are used to determine the natural frequencies of isotropic, orthotropic, and layered anisotropic composite and sandwich plates. The material properties typical of glass fibre polyester resins for the skin and HEREX C70 PVC (polyvinyl chloride) foam materials for the core are used to show the parametric effects of plate aspect ratio, length-to-thickness ratio, degree of orthotropy, number of layers and lamination scheme on the natural frequencies. A consistent mass matrix is adopted in the present formulation. The results presented in this investigation could be useful for a better understanding of the behaviour of sandwich laminates under free vibration conditions and potentially beneficial for designers of sandwich structures.     

First-ply failure analysis of laminated composite plates based on the layerwise linear displacement theory

A finite element formulated on the basis of the layerwise linear displacement theory is used to study the first-ply failure of moderately thick laminated composite plates. In the finite element formulation, a laminated composite element is divided into a number of mathematical layer groups and displacements are assumed to vary linearly in each layer group which contains eight nodal points. The accuracy of the finite element in predicting displacements and stresses has been verified by comparing results with experimental data and previously obtained analytical results. The finite element is used to determine the first-ply failure loads of a number of laminated composite plates on the basis of several phenomenological failure criteria. The capabilities of the failure criteria in predicting first-ply failure loads are investigated by comparing the finite element first-ply failure loads with the experimental ones. It has been found that the failure criteria can yield reasonably good results for the cases considered.     

Classical coupled thermoelasticity in laminated composite plates based on third-order shear deformation theory

A new mixed finite element formulation is proposed to analyze transient coupled thermoelastic problems. Coupled model of dynamic thermoelasticity is selected for a laminated composite and a homogeneous isotropic plate. For the particular finite element developed here, there are 15 degrees of freedom at each node. Two simply supported plates are considered subjected to sinusoidally distributed mechanical and thermal loading. It is seen, by comparing the present results with results from the NISA II FEM code, that they are in good agreement.     

Finite element analysis of laminated composite plates using zeroth-order shear deformation theory

In this paper a generalized finite element model is developed for static and dynamic analyses of laminated composite plates using zeroth-order shear deformation theory (ZSDT). The theory ensures the parabolic distribution of transverse shear stresses across the plate thickness. A four-noded plate element is considered in this model and the generalized nodal variables are expressed using Lagrangian linear interpolation functions and Hermitian cubic interpolation functions. The solutions of the finite element model have been compared with the existing solutions for symmetric and antisymmetric laminated composite plates. The comparison confirms that the ZSDT can be efficiently used for finite element analysis of both thin and thick plates with high accuracy.     

Free vibration and buckling analysis of composite laminated plates using layerwise models based on isogeometric approach and Carrera unified formulation

In this paper, layerwise (LW) theory has been utilized along with that of equivalent single layer (ESL) for free vibration and linearized buckling analysis of composite laminated plates. To this end, the isogeometric approach and Carrera unified formulation (CUF) have been combined. In particular, Taylor-like and Legendre-like polynomial expansions have been utilized in the framework of CUF to approximate the solution field in ESL and LW models, respectively. Indeed, CUF provides an ideal tool that facilitates the implementation of higher orders of the solution field expansion. As ESL model cannot inherently provide interlaminar continuity, they are not suitable for analyzing thick laminated plates. However, the LW model not only presents a three-dimensional (3D)-like accurate mathematical model using two-dimensionalplate theories but also considers interlaminar continuity requirements and obviates the need for the use of shear correction factor. In addition, the nonuniform rational B-spline basis functions have been employed to approximate the solution field, due to their interesting attributes in the analysis. These functions are able to describe the exact geometry of the structure and make it technically feasible to provide refinement process during analysis. The presented numerical results confirm the validity of the proposed methodology.     

A higher-order shear deformation theory of laminated elastic shells

A higher-order shear deformation theory of elastic shells is developed for shells laminated of orthotropic layers. The theory is a modification of the Sanders' theory and accounts for parabolic distribution of the transverse shear strains through thickness of the shell and tangential stress-free boundary conditions on the boundary surfaces of the shell. The Navier-type exact solutions for bending and natural vibration are presented for cylindrical and spherical shells under simply supported boundary conditions.     

Postbuckling analysis of stiffened laminated composite panels,using a higher-order shear deformation theory

The investigation aims at: (i) constructing a modified higher-order shear deformation theory in which Kirchhoff's hypotheses are relaxed, to allow for shear deformations; (ii) validating the present 5-parameter-smeared-laminate theory by comparing the results with exact solutions; and (iii) applying the theory to a specific problem of the postbuckling behavior of a flat stiffened fiber-reinforced laminated composite plate under compression.The first part of this paper is devoted mainly to the derivation of the pertinent displacement field which obviates the need for shear correction factors. The present displacement field compares satisfactorily with the exact solutions for three layered cross-ply laminates. The distinctive feature of the present smeared laminate theory is that the through-the-thickness transverse shear stresses are calculated directly from the constitutive equations without involving any integration of the equilibrium equations.The second part of this paper demonstrates the applicability of the present modified higher-order shear deformation theory to the post-buckling analysis of stiffened laminated panels under compression. to accomplish this, the finite strip method is employed. A C ²-continuity requirement in the displacement field necessitates a modification of the conventional finite strip element technique by introducing higher-order polynomials in the direction normal to that of the stiffener axes. The finite strip formulation is validated by comparing the numerical solutions for buckling problems of the stiffened panels with some typical experimental results.     

Analysis of thick orthotropic laminated composite plates based on higher order shear deformation theory

A two-dimensional finite element model is presented to perform the linear static analysis of laminated orthotropic composite plates based on a refined higher order shear deformation theory. The theory accounts for parabolic distributions of transverse shear stresses and requires no shear correction factors. A finite element program is developed using serendipity element with seven degrees of freedom per node. The present solutions are compared with those obtained using three-dimensional elasticity theory and those obtained by other researchers. The theory accurately predicts displacements and transverse shear stresses compared to previously developed theories for thick plates and are very close to three-dimensional elasticity solutions. The effects of transverse shear deformation, material anisotropy, aspect ratio, fiber orientation and lamination sequence on transverse shear stresses are investigated. The error in values of transverse shear stresses decreases as the number of lamina increases, for a plate of same thickness. An increase in degree of anisotropy results in lower values of deflection in the plate. For cross-ply plate an increase in anisotropy results in an increase in effective stress whereas for angle-ply plate the effect is almost negligible. Through thickness variation of transverse shear stresses are independent of anisotropy. The maximum effective stress increases exponentially at lower values of anisotropy and reaches to an asymptotic value at higher values. The stacking sequence has a significant effect on the transverse deflections and shear stress. Rectangular plates experience less effective, in-plane and transverse shear stresses compared to square plates.     

An accurate higher-order theory and C finite element for free vibration analysis of laminated composite and sandwich plates

At present, it is difficult to accurately predict natural frequencies of sandwich plates with soft core by using the C⁰ plate bending elements. Thus, the C¹ plate bending elements have to be employed to predict accurately dynamic response of such structures. This paper proposes an accurate higher-order C⁰ theory which is very different from other published higher-order theory satisfying the interlaminar stress continuity, as the first derivative of transverse displacement has been taken out from the in-plane displacement fields of the present theory. Therefore, the C⁰ interpolation functions is only required during its finite element implementation. Based on the Hamilton’s principle and Navier’s technique, analytical solutions to the natural frequency analysis of simply-supported laminated plates have been presented. To further extend the ranges of application of the proposed theory, an eight-node C⁰ continuous isoparametric element is used to model the proposed theory. Numerical results show the present C⁰ finite element can accurately predict the natural frequencies of sandwich plate with soft core, whereas other global higher-order theories are unsuitable for free vibration analysis of such soft-core structures.     

Vibration analyses of laminated composite beams using refined higher-order shear deformation theory

The objective of the paper is to analyze the free vibration of laminated composite beams using a refined higher-order shear deformation theory. The influences of parabolic transverse shear strain, transverse normal strain and Poisson effect are included in the present formulation. The governing differential equations of motion for coupled vibrations of laminated beams are derived using the Hamilton’s principle. In the case of simply supported composite beams, the closed-form solutions for the natural frequency of free harmonic vibration are obtained. The correctness and accuracy of the present theory are validated by comparing the present results with those previously published in the literature and ANSYS solutions.