• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.305-320
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• 2014

The lowest critical value of the compressive force acting in the plane of symmetrically laminated quasi-isotropic thin rectangular plates is investigated. The critical buckling loads of plates with different types of lamination and aspect ratios are parametrically calculated. Finite Differences Method (FDM) and Galerkin Method are used to solve the governing differential equation for Classical Laminated Plate Theory (CLPT). The results calculated are compared with those obtained by the software ANSYS employing Finite Elements Method (FEM). The results of Galerkin Method (GM) are closer to FEM results than those of FDM. In this study, the primary aim is to conduct a parametrical performance analysis of proper plates that is typically conducted at preliminary structural design stage of composite vessels. Non-dimensional values of critical buckling loads are also provided for practical use for designers.

• Computational Structural Engineering
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• v.7 no.4
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• pp.151-158
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• 1994

The free vibrations of thermally buckled, simply supported, symmetrically laminated, rectangular, and quasi-isotropic plates are investigated. The nonlinear postbuckling analysis is performed by the finite element method based on the first order shear deformable plate theory with the use of von Karman type nonlinear strains and the Duhamel-Newman type constitutive law. The postbuckling solutions are used to obtain free vibration responses of buckled plates. Several numerical examples for quasi-isotropic laminated plates are considered. The effects of width-to-thickness ratios and aspect ratios on the free vibration characteristics of buckled plates are investigated.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.493-508
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• 2018

Free vibration analysis of super-elliptical composite thin plates was investigated. Plate is formed by symmetrical quasi-isotropic laminates. Rayleigh-Ritz method was used for parametric analysis based on the governing differential equations of Classical Laminated Plate Theory (CLPT). Simply supported and clamped boundary conditions at the periphery of plates were considered. Parametric study was performed for the effect of different lamination type, aspect ratio, thickness and super-elliptical power on natural frequencies. Convergence study and validation of isotropic case were achieved. A number of design parameters like different dimensions, structure systems, panel sizes, panel thicknesses, lamination sequences, boundary conditions and loading conditions must be considered in the production of composite ships. The number of possible combinations practically may be so high that a parametric study should be carried out in order to determine the optimum design parameters rapidly during the preliminary design stage. The use of Rayleigh-Ritz method could make this parametric study possible. Thereby it might be decreasing the consumption of time, material and labor. Certain results for some different super-elliptical powers presented in tabulated form in Appendix for designers as well.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.5 no.4
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• pp.433-450
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• 1997

The objective of this work is to predict the failure loads, associated maximum transverse displacements, locations and the modes of failure, including the onset of delamination, of thin, flat, square symmetric laminates under the action of uni-axial compression. Two progressive failure analyses, one using Hashin criterion and the other using Tensor polynomial criteria, are used in conjunction with the finite element method. First order shear deformation theory and geometric nonlinearity in the von Karman sense have been employed. Five different types of lay-up sequence are considered for laminates with all edges simply supported. In addition, two boundary conditions, one with all edges fixed and other with mixed boundary conditions for $(+45/-45/0/90)_{2s}$ quasi-isotropic laminate have also been considered to study the effect of boundary restraints on the failure loads and the corresponding modes of failure. A comparison of linear and nonlinear results is also made for $({\pm}45/0/90)_{2s}$ quasi-isotropic laminate. It is observed that the maximum difference between the failure loads predicted by various criteria depend strongly on the laminate lay-ups and the flexural boundary restraints. Laminates with clamped edges are found to be more susceptible to failure due to the transverse shear and delamination, while those with the simply supported edges undergo total collapse at a load slightly higher than the fiber failure load.