A Computationally Viable Higher-Order Theory for Laminated Composite Plates
Abstract
A variational higher-order theory involving all transverse strain and stress components is proposed for the analysis of laminated composites plates. Derived from three-dimensional elasticity with emphasis on developing a viable computational methodology, the theory is well studied for finite element approximations as it incorporates both C0 and C-1 continuous kinematic fields and Poisson boundary conditions. From the theory, a simple three-node stretching-bending finite element is developed and applied to the problem of cylindrical bending of a symmetric carbon/epoxy laminate for which an exact solution is available. Both the analytic and finite element result were found to be in excellent agreement with the exact solution for a wide range of the length-to-thickness ratio. The proposed higher-order theory has the same computational advantages as first-order shear-deformable theories. the present methodology, however, provides greater predictive capability, especially, for thick-section composites.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Nov 01, 1990
- Accession Number
- ADA231423
Entities
People
- Alexander Tessler
- Erik Saether