Buckling and vibration analysis of isotropic and laminated plates by radial basis functions

This paper addresses the buckling and vibration analysis of isotropic and laminated plates by a first-order shear deformation theory. The numerical approach is based on collocation with radial basis functions. The model allows the analysis of arbitrary boundary conditions and irregular geometries. It is shown that the present method, based on a first-order shear deformation theory produces highly accurate natural frequencies and modes of vibration, as well as critical loads and modes. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.