Abstract
The free vibration analysis of general plates by a newly developed nine-node spline plate element is presented. The formulation is based on the classical Kirchhoff thin plate theory. It employs B-spline shape functions to form the two-dimensional displacement function and biquadratic Lagrangian functions for geometric interpolation. The nine-node element has 21 degrees of freedom and is of arbitrary quadrilateral shape with curved edges. Numerical examples are presented to demonstrate the accuracy and efficiency of the element for free vibration analysis. In particular, the effects of element geometry such as aspect ratio, skewness, shape of distortion, curved boundary and irregularity of mesh are illustrated. It is shown that the present element is rather insensitive to these irregularities and that, very often, a coarse mesh analysis can yield very accurate results. Furthermore, it is shown that the element has the merit of high accuracy and efficiency without any sacrifice of general applicability.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
