VIBRATION AND BUCKLING OF LAMINATED

PLATES

J. G. REN
Department of Applied Mtxzhanics, Changsha Institute of Technology. Wunan. China

and

D. R. J. OWEN
Department of Civil Engineering. University of Wales. Swxnsea SA2 RPP, U.K.

Abstract-The bending theory of laminated plates presented by Ren is used to determine natural
frequencies and buckling loads of laminated plates. The theory itllows a parabolic distribution of
transverse shear stress through each layer. The tratsversc shear stresses we continuous across the
intorfxcs between layers. Fruquoncies and buckling loads of simply supported cross-ply Inminatcd
plates arc compwcd with cxnct results from three-dimensional &&city theory. Results for simply
supported at&-ply laminntsd plates arc also prescntcd.

in rccont ycurs. advanced composites have boon widely used in many cnginccring structures.
due to their high stiliiluss-to-wuight ratio. thcrchy crcaling considcrilbfc intcrcst in their
analysis. 1lowcvcr, classical plate theory whctl used to ilnafysc I~~mimltcd pfatcs often
undcrprcdicts dcllcctions and ovcrprcdicts natural frcqucncics and buckling loads. Thcrc-
fore, various rclinctl pkttc thcorics have hccn dcvefoped. Amongst thcsc arc the Rcissncr .’
Mindlin theory (Rcissncr.1945 ; Mindfin, 105 I), high-or&r theory (Lo, 1077; Lcvinson,
1VXI) ; M urthy. I98 I ; Ruddy, I9S4) and Aiiihartsumyaa’s theory (Aiiib;lrtsllmy~in, 1WI).
Rca~~tly tt theory of 1;tmin;ttccl plates was prcsonted (Ken, 1986a. h). On the basis of the
cylindrical bcntling of 313 ilnisotropic cantilcvcr plate. an assumption rcgnrding in-pfanc
dispfxcmcnts is made. The distributions of transvcrsc shcar strcsscs arc parabolic through
each Iaycr. and these strcsscs ;lrc continuous at the intcrfrtct’s between Inycrs. Closed-form
solutions from the theory arc compared with exact solutions from tkrsticity theory and the
results iire in good agrcemcnt. In this paper. WC 11s~’the theory to dctcrminc the natural
frcqucncics and buck iing loads.

f’or iI plate of constant thickness, /I, which is composed of thin lnycrs of anisotropic
mntcrinf, constitutivc equations for each fuycr can IX dcrivcd as discussed in Whitney ilnd
f%g;tno (1970). Under the assumption that each layer posscsscs a plane of elastic symmetry
parallel to the .s’-_r plane, and that the normal stress 6, is ncglccted for deform~ltion, the
ctmstitutivc equations for II layer can bc written iis

(‘1

where Q,, arc the plane-stress-reduced elastic constants.

 J. G. REN und 1). R. J. OWEN

Fig. 1. Laminated plate

The theory of laminated plates is bused on the exact solution for the cylindrical bending
of an anisotropic laminated cantilever plate (Ren, 19%;~ b). For the laminated plate shown
in Fig. I, the transvcrsc shear stressas can approximately hc expressed as
 Vibration and buckling of laminated plates 97

in which

B = S,(Q”~~)SZ(Q:~)-S,(Q:~~)S:(Q:,)
C= S,(Q:,)S,(Q:,)-S,(Q:,,Sl(Q:,,
R = S,(Q:,,S,(Q~~)-SI(Q:~)S,(Q:~)

and where

.v .V

WQ:,) = c Q’,,(h-/I,_,).
,=I
S,(Q:d = C
I= I
Q',h(/r,-h,_,)
,F

SJQ:d = 1 Q'dh,--lo,_,). S2(Q:,) =; Q',,(/+h;_,)

,=I ,= I

:V

S:(Q:d = c Q',dl&h;_
,E I
,).

The terms B’, C’ and R’ ilre similar to 61, C and R with only Q:, and Q:, replaced by
Q”:,, and Q”?:. The index is used to idcntilj, layers and the bottom layer corresponds to
k = I.
From thcconstitutivcqns (2) and the relationships bctwecn displaccmentsllnd strains,
the transverse shear strains for the kth layer can bc written as

where

I~:., = QI;5,‘Jk. R;5 = QiJ/Jh. R:5 = -Q:s/J’, J” = Q’;aQ:s-Q:,Q:,.

We assume that the dclloction. II’, is constant through the thickness. Integrating cqns (4).
wc have

where

(6)
YY J. G. REN and D R. J. OUES

Expressions for B:(z). B:(z). etc.. are analogous to those ricen for A:(:) and .-lfi(-_) in eqns
(6). Using the condition that the in-plane displacements are continuous between Iavers, the
constants c”,. t.1. etc.. can be determined. The constants for the layer in which the midplane
is located are zero.
From the strain-displacement relations. the strains are given in matrix form as

(7)

(8)

where

2.3. Gcwcv-trlixl .vlrc~.v.v

slrtritr rc’l(tliott.YItilt.~
<kncrali/cd strains :~ntl stress resultants have been introduced (Rcn, lOMa. b). so that
the ccluilihrium equations may bc simply c?cprcsscdin terms ofgcncr;Ilixd stress resultants.
which arc dclincil 2s

[ I*‘, ] = [/I] (I:,,

(IO)
 Vibration and buckling of laminated plates 99

in which

The term pk is the density of the kth layer. A superposed dot denotes the derivative with
respect to time. 1. and

Integrating the expressions in eqn (IO) by parts, and collecting the coefficients of 6~. a<,,
St,. St/,. St/, . hr,, and &*,,. we obtain the following equations of motion :

Boundary conditions arc of the form

II’ or Qn+ Mm.,.,

“‘3 or M,
: or P,
4”

r
4.r or pm,
on I-
V” or S,

4 “.S or &,

l’nn or N,

llnns or IV,,
 J. G. REV and D. R. J. OWES

where I^‘is the boundary of the plate midplane. The terms II and .v dcnotc the lines normal
and tangential to the boundary, respectively, and

Also S,,, S ,,,, rl,,. ‘I,,$ 2nd h’,,, ,I’,,,. II ,,,,, [I,,,,, arc dclinccl by rxprcssions analogous to P,,. P,,,,
: z
4,t* %r,,, rcspcctivcly.

3. I , Sittrplj~ strpporld cws.r-plj’ lmritiirlcd plitlc~s

WC consitlcr ;I laminatd plate of N layers, as shown in Fig. 2. in each of which the
;I.YCSarc altcrnatcly oricntcd at 0 and 90 with rospcct to the x-axis. The equations 01
motion can bc written as
 101

-(Dj IJ+DJ ~~)<r.,~-DtsIJ~~.,,,-D~i~<t.br

-(b 14+Dx I\~‘lr..r~-~~lotS’lr..~r-~II
I.l’li.J,
-(~,,,,~Ri~,,~~~tr.,,-~,JI~t.cJ,rr-ff,JIt~to.rv
= :ti2xC.T - itlJH$- ht,,pij,.- M,,i:,,. (12)

Assuming that the pliitC is simply supported in such ;l manner that normal displaccmcnt is
admissible. but the tangcntid Jisplnccmcnt is not, the following boundary conditions arc
~PprOpriilt~ :

w(O, 1’) = tr(u,_v) = w(s, 0) = il.(.Y,h) = 0

M,(0, y) = h/,@.J) = ‘Cf~,,(S.
0) = M,.(s.h) = 0 (13)

g.(O,J’) = &.(ff._tg = <,(x,0) = <,(s,h) = 0

Pr(O.y) = P,(ff._l-) = P,(.Y.O) = P,(x.h) = 0 (14)
_-
C
 Vibration andbuckling of hminatcd plltrrs I03

Table I. Comparison of nature! frcqurr~cies. (5 = IUu&,~‘(y, E,), for simply supporttxi cross-ply
yudrc laminated plnra with tl h = 5

EL:&,
L~mlfl~ti~~n si..+ 3 In 20 30 40

Thrcy-dimensional elasticity (Noor. 1973)

2 2.503 I 2.793s 3.0698 3.2705 3.1150
-I l.hlXZ 3.2578 3.762 ‘4.066U 4.271’)
Antisymmetric
6 ‘.64-W 3.3657 3.Y359 4.2783 -l.WY I
2.6%3 3.4260 4.0337 J.SUl I J.64YY

2.647-Z 32KJl 3.824l 4. iUX9 4.3006

‘.65X? 3.40su Z.Y7Y:! J.?ll) 4.537-l
‘.Wlf 3.4432 +l,UW 4.4210 4.6679

Present
1 3.05’5 3.25’9 3.JU73
‘AI 2s ?.776Y
; 2.5943 3 “96
GM 3.731x 4.0352 J.%IX
6 2.6ISi 3.9015 4’4’6
__ 4.&W
IO 2.630X 3.3417 f.WhY 4.363 I ‘8.6110

? 1.SShl) 3.2586 3.6XYS 3.43 I1 4.0013

Symmetric 5 2.h.M 3.3538 3.89X 4,20x2 4.4lYl
Y X356 3.4013 3.YYY5 J.ZSX2 J.6OUY

t Sumher of I;lycrc

C’
'1 I G, ,
= 0.0. ,. = 0.5. vt r = I-,., = 0.35
Ii*1 :I

E, !E,
Lanlin:ition NL 3 IO 20 30 JO

1 I .054
Aatisymmclric 1 5.‘44 4. I .I’)’_ 13.9138 17.YX.sO 2 I .502x
6 5.3368 0.73.y 15.1644 IY.X2Yl 23.8738
IO S..tSJ~ In.wYx IS.X?iJ X.8 I75 25. I50 I
3 5.2XR1 Y.8273 I-l.875 I S.8502 ‘1.0785
Symmofric 5 5*40,3 10.0530 15.6619 20.3312 ‘-I2KY2
9 5.40X:i 10. I553 16.U.103 z I .UJ” 25.3723
IO4 J. G. REN and D. R. J OWEN
 Vibration and buckling of laminated plates IO5

Table 3. Non-dimensionatized fundamental frequencies. tb = IOOc~h,~(plE,). of an_ele-

ply square laminuted plates of two layers

# EL,‘&
uh fdcp.1 3 IO 20 30 40

4 5 26.270 32.541 36.6-M 38.78:! 40.132

I5 26.098 31.578 35.002 36.902 38. I74
30 25.830 30.820 34.324 36.441 31.9 I2
4s 25.758 3 I.006 3J.690 36.946 3X.5OH
IO 5 7.2398 9.7 I59 1 I.839 IZ.“O t-l.21 1
I5 7.IY16 9.“93 10.X23 1 I .Yi3 12.6lR
30 7.0954 8.11670 IO.369 I I .-if% 12.335
45 7.072 8.91 IJ IO.ZW I I.652 11.619
IO0 S 0.0753 0. lOi:! 0. I354 0.1587 0.177s
I5 0.0746 O.O%Y 0.1200 0.1353 0. I-176
30 0.0736 0.09-t I 0.1 I32 0.1’86 O.IJll
45 0.073.l 0.09JS 0. II-W O.I.;IS 0.1461

Assuming that the plate is simply supported by smooth pins allowing tangential dis-
placement along the boundarics, in addition to eyns (13).-( 15). conditions (16) are changed
to

N,, (x.0) = N,,.(.r,h) = N,,.(O.J) = N,,.(c/..l*) = 0. (22)

The hotmdary conditions and t ho governing IX~tli~tiOllS arc SilliSliCtf hy tk displilccm~nt

ticlds

itnd the rcmuindcr being the sitmc as in eqns (17). This kind of simply supported anti-
symmetric angle-ply laminated plutc was analyscd from classical plate theory by Whitney
(1969) and Whitney itntl Lcissa (1909).
Using ii similar procodurc to that for cross-ply laminates, ;l similar set of oyucrtions is
obt;tincd. Numrricul results arc presented in Tables 3 and 4. The thickness of each layer is
the same :tnd the material coctkicnts rqurd to those in qns (10).

Table J. Non-dilncnsi~,n;lti7ed critical cocllicicn~s, A = .V/~‘j(E,lr I). of ;mglc-ply squ;~rc

I:rmin;lfat pl;~lcs of two taycrs

II E, :‘Er
cl,/) (deg.) 3 IO 20 30 JO

4 5 4.5606 6.9770 X.SOJO IO.5629

15 4.51 I I 6.6105 x.I470 9.7101
30 4.4379 6.3-W 7.8-W 9.5368
45 J.J’O6 h.J’JO WI-S 9. KNO
IO 5 5.3X’JO 14.4174 I R.M)SP
IS 5.30x I 11.1370 l-i.6057
30 5.1x72 I t I235 13.6OSl
45 5.1561 II.4151 14.1 I03
I00 5 5.7350 I t .‘0-10 1X.5R-l-l 25.51 I9 32.01 I I
IS 5.63X6 ‘J.892 I IJs9n IX.SJI9 22.068’
30 5.SY-c X.9669 11.9770 ih.7706 20.4793
45 5.4566 9.0570 13.3545 17.5l69 ‘I .63X4
106 J. G. RE% and D. R. J. OWEN

4. cONCLUSIONS

The laminated plate theory presented by Ren is used to analyse laminated plates for
free vibration and buckling. Closed-form solutions for cross-ply simply supported plates
xc compared with three-dimensional elasticity solutions. and are in good qreement.
Closed-form results for angle-ply plates. which do not have exact solutions. xc also
presented. From these. it is shown that the present bending theory of l~lrnin~ted plates is
suitable for dynamic and buckling analysis.