Thin plates

Definitions

Plates and shells: structures with two characteristic dimensions while the third one (the
width) is significantly smaller. The middle surface is composed of midpoints between upper
and lower surfaces.
Shell: the middle surface is curved.
Plate: the middle surface is planar.
Loading on plates: in-plane forces (typically walls), perpendicular forces (typically floors).

Theories of plates under perpendicular loading

Theory of thin plates with small deflections (Reissner, 1924, Mindlin, 1934): principle of
small displacements, linear equations, middle surface inextensional, no shear deformations.
Theory simplified with the neglection of shear forces (Timoshenko, 1966).

Thin plates with small deflections

Standard assumptions from strength of materials apply, supplemented with special ones
regarding plates:

 material is homogeneous, isotropic, linearly elastic,

 constant width,
 plate is thin, h lmin /10,
 small displacement principle (displacements perpendicular to the middle plane, points on
the normal line to the middle plane remain on it when deflected),
 deflections are small, wmax  0.2h ,
 stresses perpendicular to the middle plane are ignored,
 calculation by the linear theory (equilibrium on the initial undeformed shape),
 boundaries are of arbitrary shape,
 supports on the boundaries have no in-plane constraints (reactions are perpendicular to the
middle plane).

Based on the differential equations of the theory of elasticity: plate equation and boundary
conditions are formed.
Elementary cube: dx  dy  h

Stresses and internal forces acting in the plate on the elementary cube:
Internal forces of the plate are the resultants of the stresses with the notations usually applied
in plate theory:
h/2 h/2 h/2 h/2 h/2
Mx  
h / 2
x z dz , M y  
h / 2
y z dz , M xy  
h / 2
xy z dz , Qx  
h / 2
xz dz , Qy  
h / 2
yz dz .

Let a constant p( x, y )  p distributed force act on the plate:

Deflection of the plate (w) and the derivation of rotations in the two directions:

Eh3  h/ 2 2 h3 
Introducing plate stiffness: K    z dz  
12(1   2 )  h / 2 12 
Combination of all equations leads to
 4 w( x, y )  4 w( x, y )  4 w( x, y ) p p
Plate equation: 4
 2 2 2
 4
 , in short form: w  .
x x y y K K
Bending moments and torsional moment in terms of the deflection:
 2w 2w   2w 2w   2 w 
M x   K  2   2  , M y   K  2   2  , M xy   M yx  K 1    .
 x y   y x   xy 

Shear forces in terms of the deflection:

   2 w 2 w    2 w  2 w 
Qx   K  2  2  , Qy   K  2  2 
x  x y  y  y x 

Boundary conditions on boundary  :

Rigid support:
w
w  0 and t ,   0.
n 
Simple support (’hinged’):
 2w  2w
w  0 and M n,   0 , i.e.: w  0 and  2  0 .
n 2 t 
Free boundary:
M n,   0 , Qn,   0 and M nt ,   0.
Since the shear forces and the change of the torsional moment have equilibrium on the
boundary:
M nt  2w  2w  3w  2w
Qn,    0 , i.e.:    0 and  ( 2   ) 0
t  n 2 t 2  n 3 nt 2 

Calculation of rectangular plates by the Navier method

Boundary condition (simple supports):

  2w
if x  0 and x  a , w  0 and  0,
x 2
 2w
if y  0 and y  b , w  0 and  0.
y 2
Approximate solution in double sinus Fourier series:
   
m n
wmn ( x, y )   mn  sin x  sin y    mn . mn ( x, y ) ,
n 1 m 1 a b n 1 m 1

 mn unknown Fourier-coefficients, and mn ( x, y ) base functions.

Chosen wmn ( x, y ) functions satisfy the boundary conditions.
Fourier series expansion of the given load:
 
4 a b m n
p( x, y )   qmn . mn ( x, y ) , qmn    p( x, y )  sin x  sin y dx dy .
n 1 m 1 ab 0 0 a b
Substituting to the plate equations, equality should be satisfied for all terms:
  m  4 2 2
 m   n   n  
4
m n q m n

 mn    2     sin x  sin y  mn sin x  sin y,
  a   
 a   b   b   a b K a b

yielding:
qmn
 mn  .
2 2 2
 m n 
K 4  2  2 
a b 
If p( x, y )  p  cons tan t :
 0 if m or n even

qmn   16 p
 mn 2 otherwise

For a constant distributed load, the solution is:

16 p   1 m n
6 
wmn ( x, y )  2
 sin x  sin y
K  n1 m1  m2 n2  a b
mn  2  2 
a b 
Deflection of the centre point ( x  a / 2 and y  b / 2 ):
mn
1
16 p  
 1 2
wmn ,centre 
K 6

2
.
 m2 n2  n 1 m 1
mn  2  2 
a b 
Internal force functions are derived from the deflection function. M x bending moment
function:
 
 m2 2 n 2 2  m n
M x ,mn  K   mn  2   2   sin x  sin y
n 1 m 1  a b  a b
m2 n2
   
16 p
 6  a
2
b 2  sin m x  sin n y
 n1 m 1  m2 n 2 2 a b
mn  2  2 
a b 