Untruncated infinite series superposition method for accurate flexural analysis of isotropic/orthotropic rectangular plates with arbitrary edge conditions

• Published in: Composite structures 2008-03, Vol.83 (1), p.83-92
• Main Authors: Bhaskar, K., Sivaram, A.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Analytical solution; Applied sciences; Composites; Exact sciences and technology; Forms of application and semi-finished materials; Fundamental areas of phenomenology (including applications); Orthotropic plates; Physics; Polymer industry, paints, wood; Rectangular plates; Solid mechanics; Structural and continuum mechanics; Superposition method; Technology of polymers
• ISSN: 0263-8223; 1879-1085
• DOI: 10.1016/j.compstruct.2007.04.001

A new elegant, powerful and accurate superposition method is presented for isotropic/specially orthotropic rectangular plates with arbitrary transverse load and arbitrary combination of free/simply-supported/clamped/guided/elastically supported edges. All the component solutions used here are infinite series equivalents of the complicated closed-form Levy-type solutions employed in the conventional superposition method; it is shown that these series equivalents are easily derived. The mathematical equations pertaining to the various component solutions required for the application of this new method to any plate problem are clearly presented. A number of validation studies are carried out to verify the accuracy of the method. The method can be directly extended to the analysis of more complicated plates made of multifunctional or functionally graded materials.