An efficient and simple higher order shear deformation theory for bending analysis of composite plates under various boundary conditions

In this study, the bending and dynamic behaviors of laminated composite plates is examined by using a refined shear deformation theory and developed for a bending analysis of orthotropic laminated composite plates under various boundary conditions. The displacement field of the present theory is chosen based on nonlinear variations in the in-plane displacements through the thickness of the plate. By dividing the transverse displacement into the bending and shear parts and making further assumptions, the number of unknowns and equations of motion of the present theory is reduced and hence makes them simple to use. In the analysis, the equation of motion for simply supported thick laminated rectangular plates is obtained through the use of Hamilton's principle. Numerical results for the bending and dynamic behaviors of antisymmetric cross-ply laminated plate under various boundary conditions are presented. The validity of the present solution is demonstrated by comparison with solutions available in the literature. Numerical results show that the present theory can archive accuracy comparable to the existing higher order shear deformation theories that contain more number of unknowns.