Thermal buckling analysis of rectangular composite plates with temperature-dependent properties based on a layerwise theory

• Published in: Thin-walled structures 2007-04, Vol.45 (4), p.439-452
• Main Author: Shariyat, M.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Boundary conditions; Buckling; Budiansky criterion; Composite plate; Exact sciences and technology; Fundamental areas of phenomenology (including applications); Hermitian element; Layerwise theory; Physics; Solid mechanics; Static elasticity (thermoelasticity...); Structural and continuum mechanics; Thermal buckling
• ISSN: 0263-8231; 1879-3223
• DOI: 10.1016/j.tws.2007.03.004

Thermal buckling analysis of rectangular composite multilayered plates under uniform temperature rise is investigated using a layerwise plate theory. von Karman strain–displacement equations are employed to account for large deflections occurrence. It is already proven that the layerwise theory results are compatible with the three-dimensional theory of elasticity results. The accuracy of the present results is increased by substituting each layer by many virtual sub-layers. The final governing equations are not simplified or linearized. Material properties are assumed to vary with temperature. Hermitian finite element formulation is used to ensure a C 1 continuity for the lateral deflections. No semi-analytic solution is employed to reduce the problem to an eigenvalue one. Layerwise formulations are usually displacement-based. Therefore, force or moment boundary conditions (e.g. simply supported boundary condition), are approximately satisfied. A FEM algorithm is presented to exactly incorporate the boundary conditions. A proposed numerical scheme and a modified Budiansky instability criterion presented by the author are used to determine the buckling temperature in a computerized solution. Finally, results of the present techniques are compared with the results of the high-order theories presented by some well-known researchers and the influences of various geometric and mechanical properties parameters of the composite plate on the buckling temperature are studied.