An accurate lock-free finite element for buckling analysis of laminated plates under combined in-plane loads

Abstract

The objective of this paper is to investigate the buckling behavior of moderately thick laminated plates subjected to various in-plane edge loads. For this purpose, an accurate four noded rectangular plate element based on coupled displacement field is developed. Moment-shear and in-plane equilibrium equations are employed to derive the polynomial displacement field of the element. The resulting element has six degrees of freedom per node namely three translations, two bending rotations and a twist and allows higher-order polynomial description for the field variables. The element is not only lock-free but also yields excellent convergence characteristics. A series of numerical examples are solved to demonstrate the efficacy of the proposed element. The influence of lay-up sequence, side-to-thickness ratios, boundary conditions on the prediction capability of the element is studied in detail.