FREE VIBRATION OF FUNCTIONALLY GRADED PLATES WITH A HIGHER-ORDER SHEAR AND NORMAL DEFORMATION THEORY

Free vibration analysis of functionally graded elastic, rectangular, and simply supported (diaphragm) plates is presented based on a higher-order shear and normal deformation theory (HOSNT). Although functionally graded materials (FGMs) are highly heterogeneous in nature, they are generally idealized as continua with mechanical properties changing smoothly with respect to the spatial coordinates. The material properties of functionally graded (FG) plates are assumed here to be varying through the thickness of the plate in a continuous manner. The Poisson ratios of the FG plates are assumed to be constant, but their Young's modulii and densities vary continuously in the thickness direction according to the volume fraction of constituents which is mathematically modeled as a power law function. The equations of motion are derived using Hamilton's principle for the FG plates on the basis of a HOSNT assuming varying material properties. Numerical solutions are obtained by the use of Navier solution method. The accuracy of the numerical solutions is first established through comparison with the exact three-dimensional (3D) elasticity solutions and the present solutions are then compared with available solutions of other models.