Novel formulation to study thermal post-buckling of circular plates with edges elastically restrained against rotation

Abstract

A novel formulation is used to study the thermal post-buckling behaviour of circular plates, with the edges supported not to have lateral deflection and elastically restrained against rotation. The elastic restraint is mathematically represented by an elastic rotational spring. The circular plate is subjected to a uniform edge compressive radial load, developed due to a uniform temperature rise. The formulation is based on the radial tensile load developed in the plate due to the large deflections of the plate with edges immovable in the plane normal to the edge and the linear buckling load corresponding to the uniform edge radial compressive load. The radial tensile load developed is obtained using the Berger's approximation. The numerical results obtained, from the present investigation, in terms of the ratios of the post-buckling to the buckling loads for several rotational spring stiffness values compare well with those obtained using the versatile finite element analysis.