Bending of symmetric cross-ply multilayered plates in hygrothermal environments

Ashraf M Zenkour,Rabab A Alghanmi

doi:10.21595/mme.2016.17405

Ashraf M Zenkour, Rabab A Alghanmi

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.21595/mme.2016.17405

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Abstract

The bending analysis of symmetric cross-ply laminated plates in a hygrothermal environment is presented. The sinusoidal shear deformation plate theory is used for this purpose. It enables the trial and testing of different through-the-thickness transverse shear-deformation distributions and, among them, strain distributions that do not involve the undesirable implications of the transverse shear correction factors. The governing differential equations for the bending of laminated plates are obtained using various plate theories. Displacement functions that identically satisfy boundary conditions are used to reduce the governing equations to a set of coupled ordinary differential equations with variable coefficients. Numerical results for deflection and stresses are presented. The effect of different types of sinusoidal hygrothermal/thermal loadings is investigated. The influence various parameters such as material anisotropy, aspect ratio, side-to-thickness ratio, thermal expansion coefficients ratio and stacking sequence on the hygrothermally induced response is also investigated. A concluding remark is made.

Highlights

The degradation in performance of the structure due to high temperature and moisture concentration has become increasingly more important in many structural applications
Many studies, based on classical plate theory, of thin rectangular plates subjected to mechanical or thermal loading or their combinations as well as the hygrothermal effects are available in the literature (Strife and Prewo [3] and Bahrami and Nosier [9])
The difference between sinusoidal shear deformation plate theory (SSPT) and first-order shear deformation plate theory (FPT) is, in part, due to the higher-order contributions of the SSPT and the fact that the shear correction factors for FPT depend on the lamina properties and the lamination scheme

Summary

Introduction

The degradation in performance of the structure due to high temperature and moisture concentration has become increasingly more important in many structural applications. Whitney and Ashton [4] have used the classical laminate plate theory, neglecting the transverse shear deformation, to study the hygrothermal effects on static and dynamic responses of composite laminated plates using the Ritz method. Many studies, based on classical plate theory, of thin rectangular plates subjected to mechanical or thermal loading or their combinations as well as the hygrothermal effects are available in the literature (Strife and Prewo [3] and Bahrami and Nosier [9]). Patel et al [13] have studied the static and dynamic response of the thick laminated composite plates under hygrothermal environment based on a higher-order theory. Singh and Verma [14] have investigated the combined effects of temperature and moisture on the buckling of laminated composite plates with random geometric and material properties using higher-order shear deformation theory. Zenkour [16] has presented a hygrothermal bending analysis for a functionally graded material plate resting on elastic foundations

Formulation of the problem

Governing equations

Numerical results

Conclusions