• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
• /
• v.91 no.6
• /
• pp.539-549
• /
• 2024

In this paper, thermal buckling analysis was conducted using trigonometric shear deformation theory, which employs only four unknowns instead of five. This present theory is variationally consistent, and accounts for a trigonometric variation of the transverse shear strains across the thickness and satisfies the zero traction boundary conditions on the top and bottom surfaces of the plate without using shear correction factors. The grading is provided along the thickness of the plate as per power law volume fraction variation of metal-matrix ceramic reinforced composite. The non-linear governing equation problem was solved for simply supported boundary conditions. Three types of thermal loads are assumed in this work: uniform, linear and non-linear distribution through-the-thickness. It is well known that material properties change with temperature variations and so the analysis was performed for both the cases: temperature-dependent (TD) and temperature-independent (TID) material properties. The impact on thermal buckling for both linear and non-linear temperature variation was considered. The results were validated for the TID case with other theories and were found to be in good agreement. Furthermore, a comprehensive analysis was performed to study the impact of grading indices and geometrical parameters, such as aspect ratio (a/b) and side-to-thickness ratio (a/h), on the thermal buckling of the FG plate.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
• /
• v.65 no.1
• /
• pp.19-31
• /
• 2018

In this paper, a new quasi-3D sinusoidal shear deformation theory for functionally graded (FG) plates is proposed. The theory considers both shear deformation and thickness-stretching influences by a trigonometric distribution of all displacements within the thickness, and respects the stress-free boundary conditions on the upper and lower faces of the plate without employing any shear correction coefficient. The advantage of the proposed model is that it posses a smaller number of variables and governing equations than the existing quasi-3D models, but its results compare well with those of 3D and quasi-3D theories. This benefit is due to the use of undetermined integral unknowns in the displacement field of the present theory. By employing the Hamilton principle, equations of motion are obtained in the present formulation. Closed-form solutions for bending and free vibration problems are determined for simply supported plates. Numerical examples are proposed to check the accuracy of the developed theory.

• Steel and Composite Structures
• /
• v.22 no.2
• /
• pp.277-299
• /
• 2016

In this paper, free vibration, forced vibration, resonance and stress wave propagation behavior in nanocomposite plates reinforced by wavy carbon nanotube (CNT) are studied by a mesh-free method based on first order shear deformation theory (FSDT). The plates are resting on Winkler-Pasternak elastic foundation and subjected to periodic or impact loading. The distributions of CNTs are considered functionally graded (FG) or uniform along the thickness and their mechanical properties are estimated by an extended rule of mixture. In the mesh-free analysis, moving least squares (MLS) shape functions are used for approximation of displacement field in the weak form of motion equation and the transformation method is used for imposition of essential boundary conditions. Effects of CNT distribution, volume fraction, aspect ratio and waviness, and also effects of elastic foundation coefficients, plate thickness and time depended loading are examined on the vibrational and stresses wave propagation responses of the nanocomposite plates reinforced by wavy CNT.

• Steel and Composite Structures
• /
• v.27 no.5
• /
• pp.599-611
• /
• 2018

In this article a four unknown quasi-3D shear deformation theory for the bending analysis of functionally graded (FG) plates is developed. The advantage of this theory is that, in addition to introducing the thickness stretching impact (${\varepsilon}_z{\neq}0$), the displacement field is modeled with only four variables, which is even less than the first order shear deformation theory (FSDT). The principle of virtual work is utilized to determine the governing equations. The obtained numerical results from the proposed theory are compared with the CPT, FSDT, and other quasi-3D HSDTs.

• Steel and Composite Structures
• /
• v.26 no.5
• /
• pp.649-662
• /
• 2018

In this study, based on the three-dimensional theory of elasticity, free vibration characteristics of sandwich sectorial plates with multiwalled carbon nanotube-(MWCNT)-reinforced composite core are considered. Modified Halpin-Tsai equation is used to evaluate the Young's modulus of the MWCNT/epoxy composite samples by the incorporation of an orientation as well as an exponential shape factor in the equation. The exponential shape factor modifies the Halpin-Tsai equation from expressing a straight line to a nonlinear one in the MWCNTs wt% range considered. In this paper, free vibration of thick functionally graded sandwich annular sectorial plates with simply supported radial edges and different circular edge conditions including simply supported-clamped, clamped-clamped, and free-clamped is investigated. A semi-analytical approach composed of two-dimensional differential quadrature method and series solution are adopted to solve the equations of motion. The material properties change continuously through the core thickness of the plate, which can vary according to a power-law, exponentially, or any other formulations in this direction. This study serves as a benchmark for assessing the validity of numerical methods or two-dimensional theories used to analysis of laminated sectorial plates.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
• /
• v.75 no.1
• /
• pp.87-100
• /
• 2020

The present paper investigates the combination resonance behavior of imperfect spiral stiffened functionally graded (SSFG) cylindrical shells with internal and external functionally graded stiffeners under two-term large amplitude excitations. The structure is embedded within a generalized nonlinear viscoelastic foundation, which is composed of a two-parameter Winkler-Pasternak foundation augmented by a Kelvin-Voigt viscoelastic model with a nonlinear cubic stiffness, to account for the vibration hardening/softening phenomena and damping considerations. With regard to classical plate theory of shells, von-Kármán equation and Hook law, the relations of stress-strain are derived for shell and stiffeners. The spiral stiffeners of the cylindrical shell are modeled according to the smeared stiffener technique. According to the Galerkin method, the discretized motion equation is obtained. The combination resonance is obtained by using the multiple scales method. Finally, the influences of the stiffeners angles, foundation type, the nonlinear elastic foundation coefficients, material distribution, and excitation amplitude on the system resonances are investigated comprehensively.

• Steel and Composite Structures
• /
• v.12 no.6
• /
• pp.491-504
• /
• 2012

In this paper, the nonlinear cylindrical bending of simply supported, functionally graded nanocomposite plates reinforced by single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs), is studied. The plates are subjected to uniform pressure loading in thermal environments and their geometric nonlinearity is introduced in the strain-displacement equations based on Von-Karman assumptions. The material properties of SWCNTs are assumed to be temperature-dependent and are obtained from molecular dynamics simulations. The material properties of functionally graded carbon nanotube-reinforced composites (FG-CNTCRs) are assumed to be graded in the thickness direction, and are estimated through a micromechanical model. The governing equations are reduced to linear differential equation with nonlinear boundary conditions yielding a simple solution procedure. Numerical results are presented to show the effect of the material distribution on the deflections and stresses.

• Smart Structures and Systems
• /
• v.23 no.3
• /
• pp.215-225
• /
• 2019

In the present paper, the nonlocal strain gradient refined model is used to study the thermal stability of sandwich nanoplates integrated with piezoelectric layers for the first time. The influence of Kerr elastic foundation is also studied. The present model incorporates two small-scale coefficients to examine the size-dependent thermal stability response. Elastic properties of nanoplate made of functionally graded materials (FGMs) are supposed to vary through the thickness direction and are estimated employing a modified power-law rule in which the porosity with even type of distribution is approximated. The governing differential equations of embedded sandwich piezoelectric porous nanoplates under hygrothermal loading are derived through Hamilton's principle where the Galerkin method is applied to solve the stability problem of the nanoplates with simply-supported edges. It is indicated that the thermal stability characteristics of the porous nanoplates are obviously influenced by the porosity volume fraction and material variation, nonlocal parameter, strain gradient parameter, geometry of the nanoplate, external voltage, temperature and humidity variations, and elastic foundation parameters.

• Steel and Composite Structures
• /
• v.32 no.6
• /
• pp.821-832
• /
• 2019

An analysis on thermal buckling and postbuckling of composite laminated plates reinforced with a low amount of graphene platelets is performed in the current investigation. It is assumed that graphaene platelets are randomly oriented and uniformly dispersed in each layer of the composite media. Elastic properties of the nanocomposite media are obtained by means of the modified Halpin-Tsai approach which takes into account the size effects of the graphene reinforcements. By means of the von $K{\acute{a}}rm{\acute{a}}n$ type of geometrical nonlinearity, third order shear deformation theory and nonuniform rational B-spline (NURBS) based isogeometric finite element method, the governing equations for the thermal postbuckling of nanocomposite plates in rectangular shape are established. These equations are solved by means of a direct displacement control strategy. Numerical examples are given to study the effects of boundary conditions, weight fraction of graphene platelets and distribution pattern of graphene platelets. It is shown that, with introduction of a small amount of graphene platelets into the matrix of the composite media, the critical buckling temperature of the plate may be enhanced and thermal postbuckling deflection may be alleviated.

• Wind and Structures
• /
• v.27 no.6
• /
• pp.369-380
• /
• 2018

In this research work, nonlinear thermal buckling behavior of functionally graded (FG) plates is explored based a new higher-order shear deformation theory (HSDT). The present model has just four unknowns, by using a new supposition of the displacement field which enforces undetermined integral variables. A shear correction factor is, thus, not necessary. A power law distribution is employed to express the disparity of volume fraction of material distributions. Three kinds of thermal loading, namely, uniform, linear, and nonlinear and temperature rises over z-axis direction are examined. The non-linear governing equations are resolved for plates subjected to simply supported boundary conditions at the edges. The results are approved with those existing in the literature. Impacts of various parameters such as aspect and thickness ratios, gradient index, type of thermal load rising, on the non-dimensional thermal buckling load are all examined.