• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.57 no.3
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• pp.473-506
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• 2016

The aim of this work is the development of a 2D quadrilateral isoparametric finite element model, based on a layerwise approach, for the bending analysis of sandwich plates. The face sheets and the core are modeled individually using, respectively, the first order shear deformation theory and the third-order plate theory. The displacement continuity condition at the interfaces 'face sheets-core' is satisfied. The assumed natural strains method is introduced to avoid an eventual shear locking phenomenon. The developed element is a four-nodded isoparametric element with fifty two degrees-of-freedom (52 DOF). Each face sheet has only two rotational DOF per node and the core has nine DOF per node: six rotational degrees and three translation components which are common for the all sandwich layers. The performance of the proposed element model is assessed by six examples, considering symmetric/unsymmetric composite sandwich plates with different aspect ratios, loadings and boundary conditions. The numerical results obtained are compared with the analytical solutions and the numerical results obtained by other authors. The results indicate that the proposed element model is promising in terms of the accuracy and the convergence speed for both thin and thick plates.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.57 no.4
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• pp.733-762
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• 2016

Based on a reduced displacement field, a layer-wise (LW) formulation is developed for analysis of thick shell panels which is subjected to axial tension. Employing the principle of minimum total potential energy, the local governing equations of thick panel which is subjected to axial extension are obtained. An analytical method is developed for solution of the governing equations for various edge conditions. The governing equations are solved for free and simply supported edge conditions. The interlaminar stresses in the panel are investigated by means of Hooke's law and also by means of integration of the equilibrium equations of elasticity. Dependency of the result upon the number of numerical layers in the layerwise theory (LWT) is studied. The accuracy of the numerical results is validated by comparison with the results of the finite element method and with other available results in the open literature and good agreement is seen between the results. Numerical results are then presented for the distribution of interlaminar normal and shear stresses within the symmetric and un-symmetric cross-ply thick panels with free and simply supported boundaries. The effects of the geometrical parameters such as radius to thickness and width to thickness ratio are investigated on the distribution of the interlaminar stresses in thick panels.

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.1 no.3
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• pp.309-324
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• 2005

This paper presents an efficient and accurate coupled beam model for piezoelectric bimorphs based on improved first-order shear deformation theory (FSDT). The model combines the equivalent single layer approach for the mechanical displacements and a layerwise modeling for the electric potential. General electric field function is proposed to reasonably approximate the through-the-thickness distribution of the applied and induced electric potentials. Layerwise defined shear correction factor (k) accounting for nonlinear shear strain distribution is introduced into both the shear stress resultant and the electric displacement integration. Analytical solutions for free vibrations and forced response under electromechanical loads are obtained for the simply supported piezoelectric bimorphs with series or parallel arrangement, and the numerical results for various length-to-thickness ratios are compared with the exact two-dimensional piezoelasticity solution. Excellent predictions with low error estimates of local and global responses as well as the modal frequencies are observed.

• International Journal of Aeronautical and Space Sciences
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.82-88
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• 2007

Thermal Buckling and free vibration analyses of multi-layered composite conical shells based on a layerwise displacement theory are performed. The Donnell's displacement-strain relationships of conical shell structure are applied. The natural frequencies are compared with the ones existing in the previous literature for laminated conical shells with several cone semi-vertex angles. Moreover, the thermal buckling behaviors of the laminated conical shell are investigated to consider the effect of the semi-vertex angle, subtended angle, and radius to thickness ratio on the structural stability.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society For Composite Materials Conference
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• 2002.05a
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• pp.131-134
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• 2002

Supersonic flutter analysis of cylindrical composite panels with structural damping treatments has been performed using the finite element method based on the layerwise shell theory. The natural frequencies and loss factors of cylindrical viscoelastic composites are computed considering the effects of transversely shear deformation. The panel flutter of cylindrical composite panels is analyzed considering structural damping effect. Various damping characteristics for unconstrained layer damping, constrained layer damping, and symmetrically co-cured sandwich laminates are compared with those of an original base panel in view of aeroelastic stabilities.

• Composites Research
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.52-61
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• 2002

For the aerothermoelastic analysis of cylindrical piezolaminated shells, geometrically nonlinear finite elements based on the multi-field layerwise theory hale been developed. Applying a Han Krumhaar's supersonic piston theory, supersonic flutter analyses are performed for the cylindrical piezolaminted shells subject to thermal stresses and deformations. The possibility to increase flutter boundary and reduce thermoelastic deformations of piezolaminated panels is examined using piezoelectric actuations. Results show that active piezoelectric actuations can effectively increase the critical aerodynamic pressure by retarding the coalescence of flutter modes and compensating thermal stresses.

• Journal of the Computational Structural Engineering Institute of Korea
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.267-275
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• 2009

This paper presents the p-convergent coupling element on the basis of the ESSE(equivalent single layer shell element) and the PLLE(partial-linear layerwise element) to analyze laminated composite plates. The ESSE is formulated by the degenerated shell theory, on the other hand, the assumption of the PLLE is piecewise linear variation of the in-plane displacement and a constant value of lateral displacement across the thickness. The proposed finite element model is based on p-convergence approach. The integrals of Legendre polynomials and Gauss-Lobatto technique are chosen to interpolate displacement fields and to implement numerical quadrature, respectively. This study has been focused on the verification of p-convergent element. For this purpose, various finite element multiple models associated with the combination of ESSE and PLLE elements are tested to show numerical stability. The simple examples such as a cantilever beam subjected vertical load and a plate with tension are adopted to evaluate the performance of proposed element.

• Journal of the Computational Structural Engineering Institute of Korea
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.189-196
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• 2009

This paper presents the subparametric finite element model formulated by partial-linear layerwise theory for the analysis of laminate composites. The proposed model is based on refined approximations of two dimensional plane for orthotropic thick laminate plate as well as thin case. Three dimensional problem can be reduced to two dimensional case by assuming piecewise linear variation of in-plane displacement and a constant value of out-of-plane displacement across the thickness. The integrals of Legendre polynomials are chosen to define displacement fields and Gauss-Lobatto numerical integration is implemented in order to directly obtain maximum values occurred at the nodal points of each layer without other extrapolation techniques. The validity and characteristics of the proposed model have been tested by using orthotropic multilayered plate problem as compared to the values available in the published references. In this study, the convergence test has been carried out to determine the optimal layer model in terms of central deflection and stresses. Also, the distribution of displacements and stresses across the thickness has been investigated as the number of layer is increased.

• Journal of the Computational Structural Engineering Institute of Korea
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.191-198
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• 2010

This study investigated that the stress reduction of single edge cracked plates with patch repairs according to different type of patching such as material, size and thickness of patch and adhesive as well as single sided or double sided patches. As a numerical tool, the p-convergent partial layerwise model has been employed. The proposed model is formulated by assuming piecewise linear variation of in-plane displacement and a constant value of out-of-plane displacements across thickness. The integrals of Legendre polynomials are chosen to define displacement fields and Gauss-Lobatto numerical integration is implemented in order to directly obtain maximum values occurred at the nodal points of each layer without other extrapolation techniques. Also, total strain energy release rate method is adopted to obtain stress intensity factors. Numerical examples are presented not only to demonstrate the stress reduction effect in terms of non-dimensional stress intensity factor and deflection with respect to different type of patch repairs, but also the accuracy of proposed model.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.257-277
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• 2011

In this paper the geometrically nonlinear continuum plate finite element model, hitherto not reported in the literature, is developed using the total Lagrange formulation. With the layerwise displacement field of Reddy, nonlinear Green-Lagrange small strain large displacements relations (in the von Karman sense) and linear elastic orthotropic material properties for each lamina, the 3D elasticity equations are reduced to 2D problem and the nonlinear equilibrium integral form is obtained. By performing the linearization on nonlinear integral form and then the discretization on linearized integral form, tangent stiffness matrix is obtained with less manipulation and in more consistent form, compared to the one obtained using laminated element approach. Symmetric tangent stiffness matrixes, together with internal force vector are then utilized in Newton Raphson's method for the numerical solution of nonlinear incremental finite element equilibrium equations. Despite of its complex layer dependent numerical nature, the present model has no shear locking problems, compared to ESL (Equivalent Single Layer) models, or aspect ratio problems, as the 3D finite element may have when analyzing thin plate behavior. The originally coded MATLAB computer program for the finite element solution is used to verify the accuracy of the numerical model, by calculating nonlinear response of plates with different mechanical properties, which are isotropic, orthotropic and anisotropic (cross ply and angle ply), different plate thickness, different boundary conditions and different load direction (unloading/loading). The obtained results are compared with available results from the literature and the linear solutions from the author's previous papers.