Buckling analysis of elastically clamped laminated plates using third‐order shear deformation theory

This paper considers the buckling of transverse shear‐deformable orthotropic laminated plates under uniaxial compression, which is modeled with the third‐order shear deformation theory (TSDT). The consideration of transverse shear deformation is relevant for plates with small transverse shear stiffness or small length to thickness ratio. The supporting effect of the surrounding structure is represented by laterally attached rotational restraints. The present analysis approach uses a simple energy‐based formulation in the form of a Rayleigh‐quotient for which specific shape functions for the out‐of‐plane buckling deformations as well as for the rotational degrees of freedom are employed. A comparison of the results with the Lévy‐type solution shows that the analysis approach works with satisfying accuracy, thus making it suitable for engineering analysis of plates with arbitrary thickness especially when computational time and effort are essential factors.