Geometrically nonlinear flexural response characteristics of shear deformable unsymmetrically laminated plates

Abstract

Geometrically nonlinear flexural response characteristics of shear deformable unsymmetrically laminated rectangular plates are investigated in this paper. A higher-order shear deformation theory involving four dependent unknowns and satisfying the vanishing of transverse shear stresses at the top and bottom surfaces of the plate, thus avoiding use of shear correction factors, is employed for the study reported here. A four-node rectangular C¹ continuous finite element having 14 degrees of freedom per node is developed. A concept of multiple neutral planes in unsymmetrically laminated plates is presented. The effect of the presence of such multiple neutral planes in unsymmetrically laminated plates on the flexural stiffness is investigated in detail. The necessity of geometrically nonlinear analysis for unsymmetrically laminated plates even in the small deflection regime is brought out. The effect of movable and immovable edge conditions on the plate centre deflections is also studied in detail.