Development of a 2D isoparametric finite element model based on the layerwise approach for the bending analysis of sandwich plates

The aim of this work is the development of a 2D quadrilateral isoparametric finite element model, based on a layerwise approach, for the bending analysis of sandwich plates. The face sheets and the core are modeled individually using, respectively, the first order shear deformation theory and the third-order plate theory. The displacement continuity condition at the interfaces, face sheets-core. is satisfied. The assumed natural strains method is introduced to avoid an eventual shear locking phenomenon. The developed element is a four-nodded isoparametric element with fifty two degrees-of-freedom (52 DOF). Each face sheet has only two rotational DOF per node and the core has nine DOF per node: six rotational degrees and three translation components which are common for the all sandwich layers. The performance of the proposed element model is assessed by six examples, considering symmetric/unsymmetric composite sandwich plates with different aspect ratios, loadings and boundary conditions. The numerical results obtained are compared with the analytical solutions and the numerical results obtained by other authors. The results indicate that the proposed element model is promising in terms of the accuracy and the convergence speed for both thin and thick plates.