Eccentric low-velocity impact analysis of transversely graded plates with Winkler-type elastic foundations and fully or partially supported edges

Impact analysis of plates with either elastic foundations or partially supported edges has not been accomplished, even for the homogeneous isotropic plates. In the present paper, eccentric low-velocity impact analysis of a functionally graded plate with fully/partially supported edges and a Winkler-type elastic foundation is performed. In contrast to the available researches, stiffness of the underneath layers is also taken into account in determination of the apparent stiffness of the contact region, employing Mori-Tanaka micromechanics-based model instead of the traditional rule of mixtures. The governing equations are derived based on the principle of minimum total potential energy and the first-order shear-deformation plate theory. Some of the included novelties are: modification of the contact law, incorporation of effects of the elastic foundation, considering the material heterogeneity and partially supporting the edges, and proposing various semi-analytical and (Galerkin-type) numerical solutions. Numerical time integration schemes are used to trace time variations of the responses. A sensitivity analysis is performed to investigate influences of the specifications of the plate and the indenter, the eccentricity, and the supporting length ratio on time histories of the indentation and contact force. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.