A high precision shear deformable element for the analysis of laminated composite plates of different shapes

Abstract

A high precision triangular element developed by the last author is upgraded for the analysis of laminated composite plates. In this element the effect of shear deformation is considered by taking transverse displacement and bending rotations as independent field variables. The interpolation function used to approximate transverse displacement is one order higher than that used for bending rotations. This has made the element free from locking in shear. For the analysis of unsymmetric laminates, in-plane displacements are also taken as the field variables. Plates having different shapes, boundary conditions, thickness ratios, number of layers, fibre orientations and something else are analysed by this element and the results obtained are compared with those obtained from other sources in most of the cases. A number of new results are presented, which are expected to be useful in future research. © 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.