Buckling analyses of anisotropic plates and isotropic skew plates by the new version differential quadrature method

A new version differential quadrature method (DQM) has been proposed to obtain buckling loads of thin anisotropic rectangular and isotropic skew plates. The essential difference from the old version DQM is the introduction of two degrees of freedom for boundary points and from the existing differential quadrature element method (DQEM) is the determination of the weighting coefficients. The methodology is worked out in detail and a variety of buckling problems shown slow convergence earlier by Rayleigh-Ritz method with beam functions, including isotropic skew plates with various skew angles and anisotropic rectangular plates with simply supported or clamped boundary conditions, are solved by the proposed DQM. Numerical results indicate that fast convergence is achieved and excellent results are obtained by the proposed DQM.     

Buckling of laminated skew plates

A general high precision triangular plate bending finite element has been extended to the buckling analysis of laminated skew plates. This procedure involves development of the transformation matrix between global and local degrees of freedom for nodes lying on the skew edges and suitable transformation of the element matrices. The accuracy of the present formulation has been verified against literature values. New results are obtained for antisymmetric angle-ply and cross-ply laminated skew plates. In this analysis, the critical buckling loads for different skew angles with various lamination parameters, such as number of layers, fibre orientation angle, different boundary (simply supported, clamped) and loading (uniaxial, biaxial) conditions, have been presented.     

Buckling analysis of skew laminate plates subjected to uniaxial inplane loads

Elastic stability of skew composite laminate plates subjected to uniaxial inplane compressive forces has been studied. The critical buckling loads of the skew laminate plates are carried out by the bifurication buckling analysis implemented in finite element program ABAQUS. The effects of skew angles, laminate layups, plate aspect ratios, plate thicknesses, central circular cutouts, and edge conditions on the buckling resistance of skew composite laminate plates are presented.     

Inelastic initial local buckling of skew thin thickness-tapered plates with and without intermediate supports using the isoparametric spline finite strip method

In this paper, skew isotropic plates subjected to in-plane loadings are analyzed using a stability analysis based on the isoparametric spline finite strip method, which includes inelasticity. Using this method, the initial inelastic local buckling of skew plates with or without intermediate line supports is studied based on Ramberg–Osgood representation of the stress–strain curve using the deformation theory of plasticity. Stiffness and stability matrices are formulated by energy expressions using the small deflection theory. The effect of tapered section on the local buckling of skew plates is taken into account. Finally, the inelastic local buckling loads of these plates are obtained and the results are compared with known solutions in the literature.     

Elastic buckling of uniaxially loaded skew plates containing openings

The paper is concerned with elastic buckling behavior of uniaxially loaded skew plates with openings. Simply supported and clamped plates subject to uniaxial compression in the longitudinal direction are studied. Two different shapes of openings, circular and skew of different sizes, are considered. The finite element software package ABAQUS has been employed to analyze the plates. Effects of parameters such as skew angle, size, shape and position of openings and aspect ratio of the plates are examined. Results are presented in the form of plots showing the variation of buckling coefficient against the parameters studied.     

Thermal postbuckling of laminated composite skew plates with temperature-dependent properties

Thermal postbuckling and consequently, the role of temperature dependence of material properties on the thermal postbuckling behavior of laminated composite skew plates have not been addressed in literature. Hence, this problem is investigated here. The plate governing equations are based on the first-order shear deformation theory (FSDT) and the geometrical nonlinearity is modeled using Green’s strain tensor in conjunction with the von Karman assumptions. Since the problem is geometrically and physically nonlinear, the differential quadrature method (DQM) as an accurate, simple and computationally efficient numerical tool is adopted to discretize the governing equations and the related boundary conditions. Then, a direct iterative method is employed to obtain the critical temperature (bifurcation point) and consequently the nonlinear equilibrium path (the postbuckling behavior) of symmetrically laminated skew plates. After validating the formulation and the method of solution, the effects of temperature dependence of the material properties on the postbuckling characteristic of laminated skew plates with different skew angle, boundary conditions, length-to-thickness ratio, number of layers and ply layout are investigated.     

非轴向荷载下开口斜板的弹性屈曲性能

研究非轴向荷载下开口斜板的弹性屈曲性能。研究了长度方向上的非轴向荷载下简支板和固支板的弹性屈曲性能。考虑了两种不同形式的开口;不同尺寸的圆孔和斜孔。采用有限元分析软件ABAQUS。参数分析考虑了斜率、尺寸、形状、开口的位置和板的长宽比。相对于参数分析,以图表的形式给出屈曲系数的影响。     

Experimental verification of an inelastic plate theory based on plastic flow theory

The paper aims to verify a recently proposed inelastic plate theory by Becque (2010) [1]. In a first part, the theory is revisited and some necessary corrections to the derivation are presented.A total of 486 data points pertaining to the local buckling of aluminium and stainless steel plates and plate assemblies were collected from literature in order to be compared to the predictions of the theory. For plates with straightforward boundary conditions (either simply supported edges or free edges), the theoretical buckling load was obtained by solving Becque's differential equation analytically or numerically. For plate assemblies with less obvious boundary conditions, including plain channels, lipped cannels, Z- and H-sections, the buckling load was obtained by employing an inelastic semi-analytical finite strip method based on Becque's differential equation. Including all data points, the average ratio of the predicted buckling load to the experimentally measured buckling load was 0.98 with a standard deviation of 0.069, thus confirming the proposed theory.     

Buckling of centerline-stiffened plates subjected to uniaxial eccentric compression

A solution for the elastic buckling of flat rectangular plates with centerline boundary conditions subjected to non-uniform in-plane axial compression is presented. The loaded edges are simply supported, the non-loaded edges are free, and the centerline is simply supported with a variable rotational stiffness. The Galerkin method is used to establish an eigenvalue problem and a series solution for plate buckling coefficients is obtained by using combined trigonometric and polynomial functions that satisfy the boundary conditions. It is demonstrated that the formulation approaches the classical solution of a plate with a clamped edge as the variable rotational stiffness is increased. The variation of buckling coefficient with aspect ratio is presented for various stress gradient ratios. The coupling between plate aspect ratio, centerline rotational stiffness, and gradient of applied compressive stress is illustrated and discussed. The solution is applicable to stiffened plates and I-shaped beams that are subjected to biaxial bending or combined flexure and torsion, and is important to estimate the reduction in elastic buckling capacity due to stress gradient.     

Scaling laws for buckling of polar orthotropic annular plates subjected to compressive and torsional loading

This paper derives the similitude invariants and scaling laws for buckling of polar orthotropic annular plates subjected to radial compressive load and torsional load. The similitude transformation is applied to the governing differential equation directly resulting in a scaling law for buckling load of annular plates and the similarity conditions between a model and a prototype. The scaling law is verified by a series of numerical tests using the solutions from the Ritz method as the theoretical solutions. For complete similitude cases, the buckling loads obtained from the scaling laws are identical to those of the theoretical solution. Since the derived scaling law is independent of the boundary conditions, it is valid for any pairs of model and prototype on the condition that they have identical boundary condition. Therefore, buckling behaviors of the prototype with complicated boundary conditions, of which a theoretical solution is not available, can be predicted from the experimental result on the model. Partial similitude model or scaling law for a pair of model and prototype without complete similarity is also investigated. The partial similarity model is not recommended for polar orthotropic materials, however it demonstrated good estimations for isotropic materials.     

Differential quadrature buckling analyses of rectangular plates subjected to non-uniform distributed in-plane loadings

The new version of differential quadrature method (DQM), proposed by the senior author recently, is used to obtain buckling loads of thin rectangular plates under non-uniform distributed in-plane loadings for the first time. Two steps are involved: (1) solve a problem in plane-stress elasticity to obtain the in-plane stress distributions and (2) solve the buckling problem under the loads obtained in step (1). The methodology and procedures are worked out in detail and buckling problems with loadings of non-uniform distributions are studied. Numerical studies are performed and the DQ results are compared well with analytical solutions and finite element results. This fact indicates that the DQ method can be employed for obtaining buckling loads of plates with other combinations of boundary conditions subjected to non-uniform distributed loadings.     

Buckling analysis of stiffened plates subjected to non-uniform biaxial compressive loads using conventional and super finite elements

This paper presents the buckling analysis of stiffened plates, using both conventional and super finite element methods. Mindlin plate and Timoshenko beam theories are utilized so as to formulate the plate and stiffeners, respectively. The arbitrary oriented stiffeners can be positioned anywhere within the plate element and are not limited to be placed on nodal lines. Therefore, any configuration of plate and stiffeners can be modeled. Furthermore, extensive boundary conditions as well as general in-plane loading conditions can be considered using the proposed method. As the applied in-plane loads are not uniform, the buckling load is evaluated in two steps. First, the elasticity problem is solved to determine the stress distribution in prebuckling stage. Applying the principle of minimum potential energy, based on derived stress distribution, yields to the buckling equation of stiffened plates. Numerical examples are proposed to study the accuracy and efficiency of the developed super elements. Effects of various combinations of biaxial loads along with different boundary conditions on buckling characteristics of stiffened panels are also investigated.     

Unilateral buckling of point-restrained triangular plates

In this paper the unilateral buckling behavior of point restrained triangular plates is studied. Firstly, the energy functional of a general triangular plate with elastic foundation is calculated. The Rayleigh–Ritz method for investigating the local buckling of unilaterally restrained triangular plates is applied. The displacement functions and restraining medium are modeled as polynomials and tensionless foundation respectively. The results are obtained for different boundary conditions, aspect ratios and various in-plane compressive and shear loadings. Confirming the validity of this investigation, convergence and comparison studies are undertaken. The comparisons show the efficiency and accuracy of the presented method.     

Buckling of thin flat-walled structures by a spline finite strip method

A method of buckling analysis of thin flat-walled structures of finite length subjected to longitudinal compression and bending, transverse compression as well as shear is described. The analysis uses the spline finite strip method and allows for boundary conditions other than simply supported ends as required in the semi-analytical finite strip method of buckling analysis.Convergence studies with increasing numbers of section knots are described for plates in compression, bending and shear, and for long columns with different support conditions subjected to compression. A buckling analysis of a stiffened plate subjected to compression and shear is compared with results from a finite element analysis.     

Critical shear stress of flat rectangular plates with free edges

A numerical investigation is carried out by means of a finite element buckling analysis to determine the critical shear stress of flat rectangular plates with two opposite edges free. Plate sizes and the boundary conditions at the two edges loaded in shear are the parameters considered in this study. Results of the investigation show a considerable difference in the buckling strength of plates if the in-plane displacement normal to the loaded edges is restrained either at one or at both of those edges. The in-plane flexibility of the supports is, therefore, an important parameter to be accounted for in the structural design of such plates. Finally, the numerical investigation is also extended to the shear buckling strength of flat rectangular plates with only one free edge.     

Inelastic local buckling of curved plates with or without thickness-tapered sections using finite strip method

This paper addresses the inelastic local buckling of the curved plates using finite strip method in which buckling modes and displacements of the curved plate are calculated using sinusoidal shape functions in the longitudinal direction and polynomial functions in the transverse direction. A virtual work formulation is employed to establish the stiffness and stability matrices of the curved plate whilst the governing equations are then solved using a matrix eigenvalue problem. The accuracy and efficiency of the proposed finite strip model is verified with finite element model using ABAQUS as well as the results reported elsewhere while a good agreement is achieved. In order to illustrate the proposed model, a comprehensive parametric study is performed on the steel and aluminium curved plates in which the effects of curvature, the length of the curved plate as well as circumferential boundary conditions on the critical buckling stress are investigated. The developed finite strip method is also used to determine the buckling loads of the curved plates with thickness-tapered sections as well as critical stresses of the aluminium cylindrical sectors that are subjected to uniform longitudinal stresses.     

A semi-analytical analysis of the elastic buckling of cracked thin plates under axial compression using actual non-uniform stress distribution

An improved hybrid semi-analytical method for calculating elastic buckling load of a thin plate with a central straight through-thickness crack subject to axial compression is proposed. In the study, the actual non-uniform in-plane stress distribution is firstly conducted by using Muskhelishvili's complex variable formulation in conjunction with boundary collocation method. A deflection shape function, satisfying not only the outer boundary conditions but also the inner boundary conditions of the crack edges, is obtained by using domain decomposition method. Finally the buckling load of a cracked plate using Raleigh–Ritz energy method is calculated based on the actual in-plane stress distribution and the reasonable deflection shape function obtained. The effects of crack length, plate's aspect ratio are studied for thin plates with different boundary conditions. Results obtained from the proposed method are in good agreement with the existing numerical results and experimental ones. It is finally shown that the proposed method, based on a correct non-uniform in-plane stress distribution, is more accurate than the few existing analytical methods based on a uniform in-plane stress distribution.     

A differential quadrature nonlinear free vibration analysis of laminated composite skew thin plates

Using a differential quadrature (DQ) method, large amplitude free vibration analysis of laminated composite skew thin plates is presented. The governing equations are based on the thin plate theory (TPT) and the geometrical nonlinearity is modeled using Green's strain in conjunction with von Karman assumptions. To cause the impact due to nonlinear terms more significant, in-plane immovable simply supported, clamped and different combinations of them are considered. The effects of different parameters on the convergence and accuracy of the method are studied. The resulted solutions are compared to those from other numerical methods to show the accuracy of the method. Some new results for laminated composite skew plates with different mixed boundary conditions are presented and are compared with those obtained using the first order shear deformation theory based DQ (FSDT-DQ) method. Excellent agreements exist between the solutions of the two approaches but with much lower computational efforts of the present DQ methodology with respect to FSDT-DQ method.     

Stability criteria for rectangular plates subjected to intermediate and end inplane loads

This paper is concerned with the elastic buckling of rectangular plates subjected to intermediate and end uniaxial inplane loads, whose direction is parallel to two simply supported edges. The aforementioned buckling problem is solved by decomposing the plate into two subplates at the location where the intermediate uniaxial load acts. Each subplate buckling problem is solved exactly using the Levy approach and the two solutions brought together by matching the continuity equations at the separated interface. It is worth noting that there are five possible solutions for each subplate and consequently there are 25 combinations of solutions to be considered. For different boundary conditions, the buckling solutions comprise of different combinations. For each boundary condition, the correct solution combination depends on the ratio of the intermediate load to the end load. The exact stability criteria, presented both in tabulated and in graphical forms, should be useful for engineers designing walls or plates that have to support intermediate floors/loads.     

Buckling of annular plates elastically restrained against rotation along edges

The problem of elastic buckling of thin annular plates under in-plane radial loads along either free or simply supported with elastic rotational restraints at inner and outer edges has been analysed. A variant of the classical energy methods has been used to obtain a comprehensive set of new buckling results for several combinations of boundary conditions with partial rotational fixity. Results for the special case of simply supported full circular plates with elastic rotational restraint are also obtained by making the inner edge free and permitting the inner radius to become very small.