• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.72 no.4
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• pp.491-502
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• 2019

This paper explores the analytical buckling solution of rectangular thin plates by the finite integral transform method. Although several analytical and numerical developments have been made, a benchmark analytical solution is still very few due to the mathematical complexity of solving high order partial differential equations. In solution procedure, the governing high order partial differential equation with specified boundary conditions is converted into a system of linear algebraic equations and the analytical solution is obtained classically. The primary advantage of the present method is its simplicity and generality and does not need to pre-determine the deflection function which makes the solving procedure much reasonable. Another advantage of the method is that the analytical solutions obtained converge rapidly due to utilization of the sum functions. The application of the method is extensive and can also handle moderately thick and thick elastic plates as well as bending and vibration problems. The present results are validated by extensive numerical comparison with the FEA using (ABAQUS) software and the existing analytical solutions which show satisfactory agreement.