Observations on the behavior of orthotropic plates

• Published in: Composite structures Vol. 24; no. 1; pp. 79 - 85
• Main Author: Joshi, Shiv P.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 1993; Elsevier Science
• Subjects: Exact sciences and technology; Fundamental areas of phenomenology (including applications); Physics; Solid mechanics; Static elasticity (thermoelasticity...); Structural and continuum mechanics; Rectangular plate; Boundary condition; Composite material; Orthotropic material
• ISSN: 0263-8223; 1879-1085
• DOI: 10.1016/0263-8223(93)90057-W

It is well known that the maximum deflection of an isotropic rectangular plate with symmetric boundary conditions occurs at the center when subjected to a uniformly distributed lateral load. This is not true in the case of orthotropic plates as shown by the numerical results presented and discussed in this paper. A correlation is shown between the real part and the phase of the complex parameters of bending of the first kind and the deformed shape of the plate. It is shown that as the phase of the complex parameter decreases, the real part of the complex parameter at which the maximum deflection moves away from the center increases. Plates with low phase angles of the complex parameter are more likely to have a maximum deflection away from the center.