Academic literature on the topic 'Plate theory'

The effects of in-plane load on flutter characteristics of delaminated two-dimensional homogeneous beam plates at high supersonic Mach number are investigated theoretically. Linear plate theory and quasi-steady supersonic aerodynamic theory are employed. A simple beam-plate model is developed to predict the effects of in-plane load on flutter boundaries for the delaminated beam plates with simply supported ends. Results reveal that the presence of an in-plane compressive load degrades the stiffness and natural frequencies of the plate and thereby decreases the flutter boundary for the plate. However, for certain geometry, the flutter boundaries were raised due to flutter coalescence modes of the plate altered by the presence of the in-plane load on the plate.

In order to improve the accuracy of in-plane responses of shear deformable composite plate theories, a new laminated plate theory was developed for arbitrary laminate configurations based upon Reissner’s (1984) new mixed variational principle. To this end, across each individual layer, piecewise linear continuous displacements and quadratic transverse shear stress distributions were assumed. The accuracy of the present theory was examined by applying it to the cylindrical bending problem of laminated plates which had been solved exactly by Pagano (1969). A comparison with the exact solutions obtained for symmetric, antisymmetric, and arbitrary laminates indicates that the present theory accurately estimates in-plane responses, even for small span-to-thickness ratios.

In order to improve the accuracy of the in-plane response of the shear, deformable laminated composite plate theory, a new laminated plate theory has been developed based upon a new variational principle proposed by Reissner (1984). The improvement is achieved by including a zigzag-shaped C0 function to approximate the thickness variation of in-plane displacements. The accuracy of this theory is examined by applying it to a problem of cylindrical bending of laminated plates which has been solved exactly by Pagano (1969). The comparison of the in-plane response with the exact solutions for symmetric three-ply and five-ply layers has demonstrated that the new theory predicts the in-plane response very accurately even for small span-to-depth ratios.

For a number of materials used in modern practice, calculations according to the classical theory of elasticity give incorrect results. To ensure the reliable operation of structures, there is a need for new theories. At present, of particular interest for practical applications is the asymmetric moment theory of elasticity. In the work, by the method of hypotheses, the three-dimensional equations of the moment asymmetric theory of elasticity are reduced to the equations of the theory of plates. The hypotheses of the theory of plates in the moment theory of elasticity are formulated on the basis of previously obtained our results of the reduction of three-dimensional equations to two-dimensional theories by a mathematical method. Just as in the classical theory of elasticity, the complete problem of the moment theory of plates is divided into two problems - a plane problem and a problem of plate bending. The equations of the plane problem have been obtained in many papers. The situation is different with the construction of the theory of plate bending in the moment theory of elasticity. In this work, for the first time, substantiated hypotheses are formulated and a consistent theory of plate bending is presented. A numerical calculation of the bending of a rectangular hinged plate is carried out according to the obtained applied theory. The calculation results are presented in the form of graphs.

The buckling of higher-order shear plates is studied in this paper with a unified formalism. It is shown that usual higher-order shear plate models can be classified as gradient elasticity Mindlin plate models, by augmenting the constitutive law with the shear strain gradient. These equivalences are useful for a hierarchical classification of usual plate theories comprising Kirchhoff plate theory, Mindlin plate theory and third-order shear plate theories. The same conclusions were derived by Challamel [Mech. Res. Commun.38 (2011) 388] for higher-order shear beam models. A consistent variational presentation is derived for all generic plate theories, leading to meaningful buckling solutions. In particular, the variationally-based boundary conditions are obtained for general loading configurations. The buckling of the isotropic or orthotropic composite plates is then investigated analytically for simply supported plates under uniaxial or hydrostatic in-plane loading. An analytical buckling formula is derived that is common to all higher-order shear plate models. It is shown that cubic-based interpolation models for the displacement field are kinematically equivalent, and lead to the same buckling load results. This conclusion concerns for instance the plate models of Reddy [J. Appl. Mech.51 (1984) 745] or the one of Shi [Int. J. Solids Struct.44 (2007) 4299] even though these models are statically distinct (leading to different stress calculations along the cross-section). Finally, a numerical sensitivity study is made.

Buckling analysis of thick plates has been carried out herein by using a single variable simple plate theory. Theory used herein is a third order shear deformation plate theory which uses a single displacement function for the complete formulation of plates. Plate formulation is governed by only one governing differential equation. Governing equation of the theory has close resemblance to that of Classical Plate Theory. Thus, plate problems can be solved in the similar lines as in case of classical plate theory. Plate theory used herein does not require a shear correction coefficient. To check the efficacy of the theory buckling analysis of simply supported thick rectangular plates is carried out. Critical buckling loads for simply supported plates are evaluated and the results obtained are compared to other shear deformation plate theories. Buckling load results are found to be in good agreement with other plate theory results.

A new first-order shear deformation theory (FSDT) has been developed and verified for laminated plates and sandwich plates. Based on the definition of Reissener–Mindlin’s plate theory, the average transverse shear strains, which are constant through the thickness, are improved to vary through the thickness. It is assumed that the displacement and in-plane strain fields of FSDT can approximate, in an average sense, those of three-dimensional theory. Relationship between FSDT and three-dimensional theory has been systematically established in the averaged least-square sense. This relationship provides the closed-form recovering relations for three-dimensional variables expressed in terms of FSDT variables as well as the improved transverse shear strains. This paper makes two main contributions. First an enhanced first-order shear deformation theory (EFSDT) has been developed using an available higher-order plate theory. Second, it is shown that the displacement fields of any higher-order plate theories can be recovered by EFSDT variables. The present approach is applied to an efficient higher-order plate theory. Comparisons of deflection and stresses of the laminated plates and sandwich plates using present theory are made with the original FSDT and three-dimensional exact solutions.

ABSTRACT Numerous engineering applications exist for the piezoelectric effect, which results from the electromechanical coupling between electrical and mechanical fields. In-plane vibrations of piezoelectric plates’ resonance frequencies and associated mode shapes have been thoroughly investigated. However, analytical solutions for in-plane-dominated vibrations of thick piezoelectric circular plates are limited. In this paper, higher-order plate theories for the in-plane-dominated vibration characteristics of piezoelectric circular thick plates under fully clamped and completely free boundary conditions are presented. The resonant frequencies and associated mode shapes were investigated based on two higher-order plate theories: second-order shear deformation plate theory and third-order shear deformation plate theory, as well as simplified third-order linear piezoelectric theory. Hamilton's principle was applied to derive equations of motion and boundary conditions. In the theoretical analysis, the resonant frequencies, associated mode shapes and distribution of electric displacements for various radius-to-thickness ratios were calculated. The numerical results obtained by the finite element method were compared with those obtained from theoretical analysis. Excellent agreement was found between the theoretical and numerical results for the thick piezoelectric circular plates.

A higher order displacement based formulation has been developed to investigate wave propagation in fiber-reinforced polymer composite laminated (FRPCL) plates. The formulation has been applied, as an illustration, to a plate made up of transversely isotropic laminae with the axes of symmetry lying in the plane of the lamina. Results for the plane as well as the antiplane strain cases are shown to be in excellent agreement with the exact solutions for isotropic and transversely isotropic single layered plates. Also, numerical results have been obtained for crossply (0 deg/90 deg/0 deg/90 deg) laminated composite plates, which agree very well with the previously published numerical results. The formulation can be employed to expeditiously investigate the dispersion characteristics of waves propagating in a plate with an arbitrary number of anisotropic laminae.

In recent years advances in technology have allowed the transition of composite structures from secondary to primary structural components. Consequently, a lot of applications demand development of thicker composite structures to sustain heavier loads. Typical sandwich panels consist of two thin metallic or composite face sheets separated by a honeycomb or foam core. This configuration gives the sandwich panel high stiffness and strength and enables excellent energy absorption capabilities with little resultant weight penalty. This makes sandwich structures a preferred design for a lot of applications including aerospace, naval, wind turbines and civil industries. Most aerospace structures can be analyzed using shell and plate models and many such structures are modeled as composite sandwich plates and shells. Accurate theoretical formulations that minimize the CPU time without penalties on the quality of the results are thus of fundamental importance. The classical plate theory (CPT) and the first order shear deformation theory (FSDT) are the simplest equivalent single-layer models, and they adequately describe the kinematic behavior of most laminates where the difference between the stiffnesses of the respective phases is not huge. However, in the case of sandwich structures where the core is a much more compliant and softer material as compared to the face sheets the results from CPT and FSDT becomes highly inaccurate. Higher order theories in such cases can represent the kinematics better, may not require shear correction factors, and can yield much more accurate results. An advanced Extended Higher-order Sandwich Panel Theory (EHSAPT) which is a two-dimensional extension of the EHSAPT beam model that Phan presented is developed. Phan had extended the HSAPT theory for beams that allows for the transverse shear distribution in the core to acquire the proper distribution as the core stiffness increases as a result of non-negligible in-plane stresses. The HSAPT model is incapable of capturing the in-plane stresses and assumes negligible in-plane rigidity. The current research extends that concept and applies it to two-dimensional plate structures with variable aspect ratios. The theory assumes a transverse displacement in the core that varies as a second order equation in z and the in-plane displacements that are of third order in z, the transverse coordinate. This approach allows for five generalized coordinates in the core (the in-plane and transverse displacements and two rotations about the x and y-axes respectively). The major assumptions of the theory are as follows: 1) The face sheets satisfy the Euler-Bernoulli assumptions, and their thicknesses are small compared to the overall thickness of the sandwich section; they undergo small strains with moderate rotations. 2) The core is compressible in the transverse and axial directions; it has in-plane, transverse and shear rigidities. 3) The bonding between the face sheets and the core is assumed to be perfect. The kinematic model is developed by assuming a displacement field for the soft core and then enforcing continuity of the displacement field across the interface between the core and facesheets. The constitutive relations are then defined, and variational and energy techniques are employed to develop the governing equations and associated boundary conditions. A static loading case for a simply supported sandwich plate is first considered, and the results are compared to existing solutions from Elasticity theory, Classical Plate Theory (CPT) and First-Order Shear Deformation Plate Theory (FSDT). Subsequently, the governing equations for a dynamic analysis are developed for a laminated sandwich plate. A free vibration problem is analyzed for a simply supported laminated sandwich plate, and the results for the fundamental natural frequency are compared to benchmark elasticity solutions provided by Noor. After validation of the new Extended Higher Order Sandwich Panel Theory (EHSAPT), a parametric study is carried out to analyze the effect of variation of various geometric and material properties on the fundamental natural frequency of the structure. After the necessary verification and validation of the theory by comparing static and free vibration results to elasticity solutions, a nonlinear static analysis for square and rectangular plates is carried out under various sets of boundary conditions. The analysis was carried out using variational techniques, and the Ritz method was used to find an approximate solution. The kinematics were developed for a sandwich plate undergoing small strain and moderate rotations and nonlinear strain displacement relations were evaluated. Approximate and assumed solutions satisfying the geometric boundary conditions were developed and substituted in the total potential energy relations. After carrying out the spatial integrations, the total potential energy was then minimized with respect to the unknown coefficients in the assumed solution resulting in nonlinear simultaneous algebraic equations for the unknown coefficients. The simultaneous nonlinear equations were then solved using the Newton-Raphson method. A convergence study was carried out to study the effect of varying the number of terms in the approximate solution on the overall result and rapid convergence was observed. The rapid convergence can be attributed to the fact that the assumed approximate solution not only satisfies the geometric boundary conditions of the problem but also the natural boundary conditions. During calculations four cases of boundary conditions were considered 1) Simply Supported with moveable edges. 2) Simply Supported with fixed edges. 3) Clamped with moveable edges. 4) Clamped with fixed edges. For movable boundary conditions, in-plane displacements along the normal direction to the supported edges are allowed whereas the out-of-plane displacement is fixed. For the immovable boundary condition cases, the plate is prevented from both in-plane and out-of-plane displacements along the edges. For the simply supported cases rotations about the tangential direction are allowed, and for the clamped cases no rotations are allowed.In recent years advances in technology have allowed the transition of composite structures from secondary to primary structural components. Consequently, a lot of applications demand development of thicker composite structures to sustain heavier loads. Typical sandwich panels consist of two thin metallic or composite face sheets separated by a honeycomb or foam core. This configuration gives the sandwich panel high stiffness and strength and enables excellent energy absorption capabilities with little resultant weight penalty. This makes sandwich structures a preferred design for a lot of applications including aerospace, naval, wind turbines and civil industries. Most aerospace structures can be analyzed using shell and plate models and many such structures are modeled as composite sandwich plates and shells. Accurate theoretical formulations that minimize the CPU time without penalties on the quality of the results are thus of fundamental importance. The classical plate theory (CPT) and the first order shear deformation theory (FSDT) are the simplest equivalent single-layer models, and they adequately describe the kinematic behavior of most laminates where the difference between the stiffnesses of the respective phases is not huge. However, in the case of sandwich structures where the core is a much more compliant and softer material as compared to the face sheets the results from CPT and FSDT becomes highly inaccurate. Higher order theories in such cases can represent the kinematics better, may not require shear correction factors, and can yield much more accurate results. An advanced Extended Higher-order Sandwich Panel Theory (EHSAPT) which is a two-dimensional extension of the EHSAPT beam model that Phan presented is developed. Phan had extended the HSAPT theory for beams that allows for the transverse shear distribution in the core to acquire the proper distribution as the core stiffness increases as a result of non-negligible in-plane stresses. The HSAPT model is incapable of capturing the in-plane stresses and assumes negligible in-plane rigidity. The current research extends that concept and applies it to two-dimensional plate structures with variable aspect ratios. The theory assumes a transverse displacement in the core that varies as a second order equation in z and the in-plane displacements that are of third order in z, the transverse coordinate. This approach allows for five generalized coordinates in the core (the in-plane and transverse displacements and two rotations about the x and y-axes respectively). The major assumptions of the theory are as follows: 1) The face sheets satisfy the Euler-Bernoulli assumptions, and their thicknesses are small compared to the overall thickness of the sandwich section; they undergo small strains with moderate rotations. 2) The core is compressible in the transverse and axial directions; it has in-plane, transverse and shear rigidities. 3) The bonding between the face sheets and the core is assumed to be perfect. The kinematic model is developed by assuming a displacement field for the soft core and then enforcing continuity of the displacement field across the interface between the core and facesheets. The constitutive relations are then defined, and variational and energy techniques are employed to develop the governing equations and associated boundary conditions. A static loading case for a simply supported sandwich plate is first considered, and the results are compared to existing solutions from Elasticity theory, Classical Plate Theory (CPT) and First-Order Shear Deformation Plate Theory (FSDT). Subsequently, the governing equations for a dynamic analysis are developed for a laminated sandwich plate. A free vibration problem is analyzed for a simply supported laminated sandwich plate, and the results for the fundamental natural frequency are compared to benchmark elasticity solutions provided by Noor. After validation of the new Extended Higher Order Sandwich Panel Theory (EHSAPT), a parametric study is carried out to analyze the effect of variation of various geometric and material properties on the fundamental natural frequency of the structure. After the necessary verification and validation of the theory by comparing static and free vibration results to elasticity solutions, a nonlinear static analysis for square and rectangular plates is carried out under various sets of boundary conditions. The analysis was carried out using variational techniques, and the Ritz method was used to find an approximate solution. The kinematics were developed for a sandwich plate undergoing small strain and moderate rotations and nonlinear strain displacement relations were evaluated. Approximate and assumed solutions satisfying the geometric boundary conditions were developed and substituted in the total potential energy relations. After carrying out the spatial integrations, the total potential energy was then minimized with respect to the unknown coefficients in the assumed solution resulting in nonlinear simultaneous algebraic equations for the unknown coefficients. The simultaneous nonlinear equations were then solved using the Newton-Raphson method. A convergence study was carried out to study the effect of varying the number of terms in the approximate solution on the overall result and rapid convergence was observed. The rapid convergence can be attributed to the fact that the assumed approximate solution not only satisfies the geometric boundary conditions of the problem but also the natural boundary conditions. During calculations four cases of boundary conditions were considered 1) Simply Supported with moveable edges. 2) Simply Supported with fixed edges. 3) Clamped with moveable edges. 4) Clamped with fixed edges. For movable boundary conditions, in-plane displacements along the normal direction to the supported edges are allowed whereas the out-of-plane displacement is fixed. For the immovable boundary condition cases, the plate is prevented from both in-plane and out-of-plane displacements along the edges. For the simply supported cases rotations about the tangential direction are allowed, and for the clamped cases no rotations are allowed.

Crack propagation and branching are modeled using nonlocal peridynamic theory. One major advantage of this nonlocal theory based analysis tool is the unifying approach towards material behavior modeling- irrespective of whether the crack is formed in the material or not. No separate damage law is needed for crack initiation and propagation. This theory overcomes the weaknesses of existing continuum mechanics based numerical tools (e.g. FEM, XFEM etc.) for identifying fracture modes and does not require any simplifying assumptions. Cracks grow autonomously and not necessarily along a prescribed path. However, in some special situations such as in case of ductile fracture, the damage evolution and failure depend on parameters characterizing the local stress state instead of peridynamic damage modeling technique developed for brittle fracture. For brittle fracture modeling the bond is simply broken when the failure criterion is satisfied. This simulation helps us to design more reliable modeling tool for crack propagation and branching in both brittle and ductile materials. Peridynamic analysis has been found to be very demanding computationally, particularly for real-world structures (e.g. vehicles, aircrafts, etc.). It also requires a very expensive visualization process. The goal of this paper is to bring awareness to researchers the impact of this cutting-edge simulation tool for a better understanding of the cracked material response. A computer code has been developed to implement the peridynamic theory based modeling tool for two-dimensional analysis. A good agreement between our predictions and previously published results is observed. Some interesting new results that have not been reported earlier by others are also obtained and presented in this paper. The final objective of this investigation is to increase the mechanics knowledge of self-similar and self-affine cracks.

Sandwich plates and layered composites are common in many structural applications because of their combination of high stiffness and low weight. These plates combine top and bottom layers of high Young's modulus with intermediate layers of material carrying predominantly shear loads. Finite elements developed for the analysis of sandwich plates need to accurately model transverse shear stresses through the plate thickness. This study was inspired by an Office of Naval Research project to investigate the suitability of steel sandwich plates as ship hulls. A finite element implementation based on a third-order shear deformation element was used in a standard finite element program to model transverse shear stresses in a simply supported plate. Four elements based on third-order theory are developed and tested. Using static condensation to reduce the number of degrees of freedom required by a third-order plate element does not preserve the element's accuracy in either displacements or stresses, and stresses do not converge with refinement of the mesh. For the thin isotropic plate case, some condensed elements give reasonable displacement and stress results, but only for certain choices of mesh and the element is less versatile than one based on first order plate theory. None of the condensed elements give good results for composite plates of any thickness.
Master of Science

Circular voids are often incorporated into concrete bridge decks to reduce their self-weight without greatly reducing the flexural stiffness. Incorporating voids within a slab offers many advantages over a conventional solid concrete slab, for example a lower total cost of construction, reduced material use, and enhanced structural efficiency. The advantages of this topology are obvious, however the voids within the slab complicate the analysis of the structure. The incorporation of the voids within the slab results in different flexural stiffness in the longitudinal and transverse directions, resulting in an orthotropic slab. Another feature which distinguishes voided slabs from other common bridge types is the deformable nature of their cross-sections, which influences the load distribution of the structure. The need for a method of analysis which accounts for the orthotropic behaviour and deformable nature of the cross-section has been suggested by many in the past. The idealisation of voided slabs as an orthotropic plate has been the subject of extensive research. When modelling a voided slab as an orthotropic plate, it is necessary to calculate the reduction in the longitudinal and transverse stiffness due to the presence of the voids. Several equivalent plate parameters, which take on numerous forms, have been suggested by various authors to account for the effect of the voids. No research has been reported in technical literature to compare these different methods employing orthotropic plate parameters. Key shortcomings to these methods include the lack of definition of the suggested equivalent plate parameters, and the geometrical parameters of voided slabs which influence their behaviour. In an attempt to address these limitations, the aim of this study is to verify and validate the effect of the void diameter ratio and void spacing on the structural behaviour of voided slabs, which are the main influences on the orthotropic behaviour and cross-section deformation. The different methods of analysis using orthotropic plate theory suggested by various authors employing equivalent plate parameters are compared and discussed. The objectives of the study were achieved based on the finite element approach using ABAQUS. Finite element models with a void diameter to slab depth ratio range of 0.5 to 0.9, and a void spacing range of 0.9m to 2.7m were considered and analysed. Comparisons were made of the longitudinal and transverse stress distribution results from these models in order to draw conclusions. Results from solid models using both isotropic and orthotropic materials based on the equivalent plate parameters suggested from literature are also presented for comparison in order to verify the methods suggested by the technical literature for the analysis of voided slab bridge decks. Results of the finite element modelling show that the addition of voids causes large variations to the transverse stress distribution from the typical parabolic transverse stress distribution shape, leading to large peak transverse stresses in the flanges above and below the voids. These variations are due to the deformable nature of the cross-section. The voids also lead to a stress raising effect on the longitudinal stresses. It was found that an increase in void diameter to slab thickness ratio results in a rapid increase in both the longitudinal and transverse stresses, which shows that there is an increase in orthotropic behaviour and deformation of the cross-section with an increase in void diameter ratio. From the results, it can be concluded that the optimal void diameter ratio is between 0.6 and 0.8. This range of void diameter ratios allow for greater efficiency due to reduced dead load and material use, without generating excessive stresses due to cellular distortion resulting from excessively thin and flexible flanges above and below the voids. The spacing of the voids was found to have minimal effect on the stress distributions for a logical void spacing. These results show that the orthotropic behaviour and deformation of the cross-section are more sensitive to variations in void diameter ratio than the spacing of the voids. The void diameter ratio should therefore form the basis of the equivalent plate parameters for the use of orthotropic plate theory. The use of a solid orthotropic plate to idealise a voided slab showed reasonable agreement with the results from three-dimensional models, with some discrepancies in the different authors' methods noted. The net effect of using a two-dimensional analysis is the averaging out of the stress transverse distribution, which cannot predict the peak stresses around the voids. The orthotropic models compared more favourably with the 3D model than the isotropic models with increasing void diameter ratio. The results presented have shown that the incorporation of voids begins to affect the structural behaviour of the slab once the void diameter ratio exceeds 0.6, and the orthotropic behaviour becomes considerable. The stress raising effect of the voids should therefore be accounted for in the analysis of a voided slab once the void diameter ratio exceeds 0.6. It is recommended that a solid isotropic slab can be used to idealise a voided slab when the void diameter to slab depth ratio is less than 0.6. When the void diameter ratio is greater than 0.6, the transverse stiffness should be evaluated independently from the longitudinal stiffness, and orthotropic models are more suitable. For higher void diameter ratios, the method employed by Sen et al. (1994), which employs a reduced depth solid orthotropic slab in conjunction with stress multipliers, was found to be the most accurate method for idealising voided slabs. It is evident from this study, that while a three-dimensional finite element model may be too complex for everyday use, it may be extremely valuable for determining the local effects due to the presence of the voids.

One of the most important branches of applied mechanics is the theory of plates - defined to be plane structural elements whose thickness is very small when compared to the two planar dimensions. There is an abundance of plate theories in the literature modeling classical elastic solids that fit this description. Recently, however, there has been a steady growth of interest in modeling materials with microstructures that exhibit length-scale dependent behavior, generally known as Cosserat elastic materials. Concurrently, there has also been an increased interest in the construction of reduced dimensional models of such materials owing to advantages like reduced computational effort and a simpler, yet elegant, resulting mathematical formulation. The objective of this work is the formulation and implementation of a theory of elastic plates with microstructure. The mathematical underpinning of the approach used is the Variational Asymptotic Method (VAM), a powerful tool used to construct asymptotically correct plate models. Unlike existing Cosserat plate models in the literature, the VAM allows for a plate formulation that is free of a priori assumptions regarding the kinematics. The result is a systematic derivation of the two-dimensional constitutive relations and a set of geometrically-exact, fully intrinsic equations gov- erning the motion of a plate. An important consequence is the extraction of the drilling degree of freedom and the associated stiffness. Finally, a Galerkin approach for the solution of the fully-intrinsic formulation will be developed for a Cosserat sur- face analysis which will also be compatible with more traditional plate solvers based on the classical theory of elasticity. Results and validation are presented from linear static and dynamic analyses, along with a discussion on some challenges and solution techniques for nonlinear problems.One of the most important branches of applied mechanics is the theory of plates - defined to be plane structural elements whose thickness is very small when compared to the two planar dimensions. There is an abundance of plate theories in the literature modeling classical elastic solids that fit this description. Recently, however, there has been a steady growth of interest in modeling materials with microstructures that exhibit length-scale dependent behavior, generally known as Cosserat elastic materials. Concurrently, there has also been an increased interest in the construction of reduced dimensional models of such materials owing to advantages like reduced computational effort and a simpler, yet elegant, resulting mathematical formulation. The objective of this work is the formulation and implementation of a theory of elastic plates with microstructure. The mathematical underpinning of the approach used is the Variational Asymptotic Method (VAM), a powerful tool used to construct asymptotically correct plate models. Unlike existing Cosserat plate models in the literature, the VAM allows for a plate formulation that is free of a priori assumptions regarding the kinematics. The result is a systematic derivation of the two-dimensional constitutive relations and a set of geometrically-exact, fully intrinsic equations gov- erning the motion of a plate. An important consequence is the extraction of the drilling degree of freedom and the associated stiffness. Finally, a Galerkin approach for the solution of the fully-intrinsic formulation will be developed for a Cosserat sur- face analysis which will also be compatible with more traditional plate solvers based on the classical theory of elasticity. Results and validation are presented from linear static and dynamic analyses, along with a discussion on some challenges and solution techniques for nonlinear problems.

The bifurcation phenomenon occurring in twisted square plates with free edges subject to contrary self-equilibrating corner loading was examined. In order to eliminate lateral deflection of the test plates due to their own weight, a special loading apparatus was constructed which held the plates in a vertical plane. The complete strain field occurring at the plate centre was measured using two strain gauge rosettes mounted on opposing sides of the plate at the centre. Principal curvatures were calculated and related to corner load for several plates with differing edge length/thickness ratios. A Southwell plot was used relating mean curvature to the ratio mean curvature/Gaussian curvature, from which the Gaussian curvature occurring at bifurcation was determined. The critical dimensionless twist ka was then calculated for each plate size. It was found that there is a linear relation between the critical dimensionless twist ka occurring at bifurcation, and the thickness to edge length ratio h/a ratio, specifically: ka = 10.8h/a.
Applied Science, Faculty of
Mechanical Engineering, Department of
Graduate

Treated herein is the elastic buckling of circular plates based on the Reddy plate theory. This plate theroy extends the Kirchhoff (or the classical thin) plate theory to allow for the effect of transverse shear deformation. Unlike the Mindlin’s shear deformation plate theory, there is no need for a shear correction factor in the Reddy plate theory. In this paper, exact buckling solutions are derived for circular plates whose edges are simply supported and elastically restrained against rotation as well. This general edge condition includes the classical simply supported and clamped edges at the limiting, values of the elastic rotational restraint constant. The buckling solutions are expressed in terms of the well-known Kichhoff buckling solutions. A comparison of buckling loads between the Mindlin, Reddy and three-dimensional elasticity plates is also given.

In flexible multibody systems, many components are often approximated as plates. More often that not, classical plate theories, such as Kirchhoff or Reissner-Mindlin plate theory, form the basis of the analytical development for plate dynamics. The advantage of this approach is that it leads to a very simple kinematic representation of the problem: the plate’s normal material line is assumed to remain straight and its displacement field is fully defined by three displacement and two rotation components. While such approach is capable of capturing the kinetic energy of the system accurately, it cannot represent the strain energy adequately. For instance, it is well known from three-dimensional elasticity theory that the normal material line will warp under load for laminated composite plates, leading to a three-dimensional deformation state that generates a complex stress state. To overcome this problem, several high-order and refined plate theory were proposed. While these approaches work well for some cases, they typically lead to inefficient formulation because they introduce numerous additional variables. This paper presents a different approach to the problem, which is based on a finite element discretization of the normal material line, and relies of the Hamiltonian formalism of obtain solutions of the governing equations. Polynomial solutions, also known as central solutions, are obtained that propagate over the entire span of the plate.

In structural analysis, many components are approximated as plates. More often that not, classical plate theories, such as Kirchhoff or Reissner-Mindlin plate theories, form the basis of the analytical developments. The advantage of these approaches is that they leads to simple kinematic descriptions of the problem: the plate’s normal material line is assumed to remain straight and its displacement field is fully defined by three displacement and two rotation components. While such approach is capable of capturing the kinetic energy of the system accurately, it cannot represent the strain energy adequately. For instance, it is well known from three-dimensional elasticity theory that the normal material line will warp under load for laminated composite plates, leading to three-dimensional deformations that generate complex stress states. To overcome this problem, several high-order, refined plate theories have been proposed. While these approaches work well for some cases, they often lead to inefficient formulations because they introduce numerous additional variables. This paper presents a different approach to the problem: based on a finite element semi-discretization of the normal material line, plate equations are derived from three-dimensional elasticity using a rigorous dimensional reduction procedure.

A new approach to plate theory is presented which yields a straight-forward yet extremely accurate plate model. The approach yields precise and complete three-dimensional stress and strain states with minimal computational effort. This development is based on the assumption that the plate response characteristics can be represented in terms of far-field stress and strain solutions corresponding to constant, linear, quadratic, , nth degree bending states; such solutions, referred to as Fundamental State Solutions (FS), can be determined uniquely and are independent of boundary conditions. Defining the problem variables as through-thickness moments eliminates difficulties in classical plate theories associated with discontinuous or non-differentiable solution fields and is therefore an enormous advantage. Also, post-processing is based on the FS and yields a completely internally consistent approximation. In order to illustrate the capabilities of this approach, comparisons are made to three-dimensional finite element analyses performed with the commercial code ASAS. The results show an excellent agreement between the new plate theory and the finite element calculations for all stress and strain components. In particular, the transverse shear stresses and strains, and the transverse normal stress and strain are obtained extremely accurately. A few millimeters in from the plate edge, the results of the theory and 3D model coalesce. Complete results show that the through-thickness distribution of all stress and strain components is accurately captured with the new theory; the expected parabolic distribution for transverse shear components in the isotropic case, and the discontinuous strains/continuous stresses for the sandwich plate.

The theory of near-surface atmospheric wind noise is largely predicated on assuming turbulence is homogeneous and isotropic. For high turbulent wavenumbers, this is a fairly reasonable approximation, though it can introduce non-negligible errors in shear flows. Recent near-surface measurements of atmospheric turbulence suggest that anisotropic turbulence can be adequately modeled by rapid-distortion theory (RDT), which can serve as a natural extension of wind noise theory. Here, a solution for the RDT equations of unidirectional plane shearing of homogeneous turbulence is reproduced. It is assumed that the time-varying velocity spectral tensor can be made stationary by substituting an eddy-lifetime parameter in place of time. General and particular RDT evolution equations for stochastic increments are derived in detail. Analytical solutions for the RDT evolution equation, with and without an effective eddy viscosity, are given. An alternative expression for the eddy-lifetime parameter is shown. The turbulence kinetic energy budget is examined for RDT. Predictions by RDT are shown for velocity (co)variances, one-dimensional streamwise spectra, length scales, and the second invariant of the anisotropy tensor of the moments of velocity. The RDT prediction of the second invariant for the velocity anisotropy tensor is shown to agree better with direct numerical simulations than previously reported.

There is increasing interest in the question of how different stakeholders develop, implement and lead regional upgrading processes with the concept of place leadership emerging as one response to this. Simultaneously, universities face growing expectations that they will contribute to regional development processes – often through their collaborative relationships with other regional stakeholders. But universities are complex in terms of their internal and institutional structures, which undermines their capacities to enact coherent place leadership roles. We seek to understand how strategic leadership in universities can contribute to innovation and regional development in the context of the fundamental institutional complexity of universities. We address this through a qualitative, explorative case study comparing six European regions where universities have sincerely attempted to deliver place leadership roles. We identify that the elements of agency and alignment are vital in that: firstly, university leadership has to align with regional coalitions on the one hand and internal structures on the other hand, and secondly, this leadership must give individuals agency in their regional engagement activities.

The article continues, for the first time in English in domestic science, to study the question of the need to create a new scientific theory – the theory of mass information. For the first time too raises the question of creating, in a place of the current theory of mass communication, a system of sciences including: a) mass information (shpuld be created now in rpoh of mass information), b) the theory of mass understanding (has created as a hermeneutics of the masses), c) the theory of mass communication (has created as a theory of the transfer of content) and the theory of mass emotions (started to create in 2017). This is a paradoxical situation – the absence of fundamental theory of mass information in the epoch of mass information. Researches in the scientific works of foreign mass communication also showed the absence of a holistic theory, as well as attempts to create it, even the lack of decisions on the need to create it as a new scientific field.

In current bridge design specifications and evaluation manuals from the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO LRFD) (AASHTO, 2018), the detail category for base metal at the toe of transverse stiffener-to-flange fillet welds and transverse stiffener-to-web fillet welds to the direction of the web and hence, the primary stress) is Category C′. In skewed bridges or various other applications, there is sometimes a need to place the stiffener or a connection plate at an angle that is not at 90 degrees to the web. As the plate is rotated away from being 90 degrees to the web, the effective “length” of the stiffener in the longitudinal direction increases. However, AASHTO is currently silent on how to address the possible effects on fatigue performance for other angles in between these two extremes. This report summarizes an FEA study that was conducted in order to investigate and determine the fatigue category for welded attachments that are placed at angles other than 0 or 90 degrees for various stiffener geometries and thicknesses. Recommendations on how to incorporate the results into the AASHTO LRFD Bridge Design Specifications are included in this report.

Differences of opinion concerning the relationship between the Thelon tectonic zone and the Taltson magmatic zone, as to whether they are individual tectonic elements or two independent elements, have generated various plate tectonic models explaining their creation. Magnetic and gravity signatures indicate that they are separate entities and that the Thelon tectonic zone and the Great Slave Lake shear zone form a single element. Adopting the single-element concept and available age dates, a temporally evolving plate tectonic model of Slave-Rae interaction is presented. At 2350 Ma, an Archean supercontinent rifted along the eastern and southern margins of the Slave Craton. Subsequent ocean closure, apparently diachronous, began with subduction at 2070 Ma in the northern Thelon tectonic zone, followed by subduction under the Great Slave Lake shear zone at 2051 Ma. Subduction related to closure of an ocean between the Buffalo Head terrane and the Rae Craton initiated under the Taltson magmatic zone at 1986 Ma, at which time subduction continued along the Thelon tectonic zone. At 1970 Ma, collision in the northern Thelon tectonic zone is evidenced in the Kilohigok Basin. From 1957 to 1920 Ma, plutonism was active in the Taltson magmatic zone, Great Slave Lake shear zone, and southern Thelon tectonic zone. The plutonism terminated in the northern Thelon tectonic zone at 1950 Ma, but it resumed at 1910 Ma and continued until 1880 Ma. The East Arm Basin witnessed igneous activity as early as 2046 Ma, though this took place more continuously from 1928 to 1861 Ma; some igneous rocks bear subduction-related trace element signatures. These signatures, and the presence of northwest-verging nappes, may signify collision with the Great Slave Lake shear zone as a result of southeastward subduction, completing closure between the Slave and Rae cratons.

The work described in this report focuses on the development of data processing routines for curved-wide-plate (CWP) tests, the presentation of test results in a consistent and unified format, generation of fracture resistance curves from, and the examination of transferability between CWP and SENT (single-edge-notched tension) test specimens. The results of this work can be used for: Drafting and implementing consistent test procedures for CWP tests, Formulating test data for consistent presentation and comparison, Understanding the differences and limitations of test specimens of different scales, Making the best selection of test specimens for a given set of objectives, and Making correct interpretation of test data and their relevance to girth weld performance.