Buckling of rectangular Mindlin plates subjected to partial in-plane edge loads using the radial point interpolation method

This paper considers the elastic buckling of rectangular Mindlin plates that are subjected to partially distributed in-plane edge loadings. A numerical algorithm based on the radial point interpolation method (RPIM) is proposed for the solution of such plates. The pre-buckling stresses are first determined using the RPIM based on a two-dimensional (2D) elastic plane stress problem. The buckling load intensity factors for rectangular plates that incorporate these predetermined pre-buckling stresses are then computed via the RPIM based on the Mindlin plate theory. Numerical examples of the plates with various boundaries and subjected to different partially distributed in-plane edge loadings are presented. Shear-locking of the buckling load is studied. The results demonstrate the high accuracy of the proposed RPIM. (C) 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.