A review of theories for the modeling and analysis of functionally graded plates and shells

In this paper, a comprehensive review of various theories for the modeling and analysis of functionally graded plates and shells is presented. The review is devoted to theoretical models which were developed to predict the global responses of functionally graded plates and shells under mechanical and thermal loadings. This review mainly focuses on the equivalent single layer theories including the classical plate theory, first-order shear deformation theory, higher-order shear deformation theories, simplified theories and mixed theories since they were widely used in the modeling of functionally graded plates and shells. In addition, a thorough review of the literature related to the development of three-dimensional elasticity solutions and a unified formulation is also presented. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.