A new refined theory of plates with transverse shear deformation for moderately thick and thick plates

TL;DR

This paper introduces a refined shear deformation theory for moderately thick and thick plates, improving stress calculation accuracy and applicability to architectural and civil engineering problems.

Contribution

It presents a new shear deformation plate theory with loads applied on the upper surface, matching second-order accuracy, and offering practical expressions for diverse engineering applications.

Findings

Applicable to isotropic plates with accurate stress predictions

Loads act on the upper surface, not the middle surface

Provides easy-to-use expressions for engineering problems

Abstract

In this paper we propose a new refined shear deformation plate theory which possesses a series of desirable features, the most salient of which are as follows: (i) The loads, which are generally considered to be applied on the middle surface of the plate, act on the upper surface of the plate; (ii) The equations are applicable to the calculation of the stresses in isotropic plates and provide the same order of accuracy as several theories with second order shear deformation effects; (iii) It constitutes a theory, in the sense defined by Love, since it gives easy expressions for application to problems in different fields in architecture and civil engineering