Thermomechanical postbuckling analysis of functionally graded plates and shallow cylindrical shells

Summary. In this paper, an analytic solution is provided for the postbuckling behavior of plates and shallow cylindrical shells made of functionally graded materials under edge compressive loads and a temperature field. The material properties of the functionally graded shells are assumed to vary continuously through the thickness of the shell according to a power law distribution of the volume fraction of the constituents. The fundamental equations for thin rectangular shallow shells of FGM are obtained using the von Karman theory for large transverse deflection, and the solution is obtained in terms of mixed Fourier series. The effect of material properties, boundary conditions and thermomechanical loading on the buckling behavior and stress field are determined and discussed. The results reveal that thermomechanical coupling effects and the boundary conditions play a major role in dictating the response of the functionally graded plates and shells under the action of edge compressive loads.