| Abstract: | This paper is concerned with the derivation of stiffness matrices for the buckling or vibration analysis of any structure consisting of a series of long, thin, flat plates rigidly connected together at their longitudinal edges. Each plate is assumed to be subjected to a basic state of plane stress which is longitudinally invariant, and it is further assumed that the mode of buckling or vibration varies sinusoidally in the longitudinal direction. During buckling or vibration, the edges of any individual plate are subjected to additional systems of forces and moments which are sinusoidally distributed along the edges, and these give rise to sinusoidally varying edge displacements and rotations. Spatial phase differences between the forces and displacements are accounted for by defining them in terms of complex quantities. The sinusoidal edge forces and displacements are split into two uncoupled systems, corresponding to out-of-plane and in-plane displacements, and two stiffness matrices are defined. The out-of-plane stiffness matrix is shown to be in general complex, and Hermitian in form, but the inplane stiffness matrix is real and symmetrical. Explicit expressions are derived for the elements of the matrices, in which all the essential destabilizing effects of the basic stresses, as well as dynamic effects, are included. Finally, it is shown that buckling and vibration phenomena for any structure of this type are closely interrelated. |
