Heuristic formulation to predict thermal postbuckling behaviour of square plates on elastic foundation

Abstract

AbstractDevelopment of simple heuristic formulas for complex nonlinear structural analysis problems, such as the postbuckling behaviour of structural members like columns and plates, are very useful for practicing engineers. Such formulas, developed based on the physics of the problem, are available for the aforementioned simple structural members. The advantage is that these formulations can directly be extended to structural members having complicating effects; one such problem is the effect of elastic foundation on the postbuckling behavior of square plates. In this paper, a simple formula is developed, to predict the thermal postbuckling behavior of uniform thin square plates resting on an elastic foundation, subjected to uniform compressive thermal loads (biaxial compression) developed due to the temperature rise from the stress free temperature. The present formulation requires the knowledge of the in plane tensile forces developed in the plate, due to large deflections, when the in plane displacements normal to the edges of the plate are restrained to move axially and the corresponding buckling load. The effectiveness of this formula is established by comparing the present analytical thermal postbuckling results with those obtained from the rigorous nonlinear finite element analysis.