A postbuckling analysis is presented for a functionally graded cylindrical thin shell of finite length subjected to compressive axial loads and in thermal environments. Material properties are assumed to be temperature-dependent, and graded in the thickness direction according to a simple power law distribution in terms of the volume fractions of the constituents. The governing equations are based on the classical shell theory with von K

A compressive postbuckling analysis is presented for a laminated cylindrical shell with piezoelectric actuators subjected to the combined action of mechanical, electric and thermal loads. The temperature field considered is assumed to be a uniform distribution over the shell surface and through the shell thickness, and the electric field is assumed to be the transverse component Ez only. The material properties are assumed to be independent of the temperature and the electric field. The governing equations are based on the classical shell theory with von K

Thermal postbuckling analysis is presented for a simply supported, shear deformable laminated plate subjected to a uniform temperature rise and resting on an elastic foundation. The material properties of the com posite are assumed to be functions of temperature. The formulations are based on Reddy's higher order shear deformation plate theory, and including the plate-foundation interaction and thermal effects. The initial geometric imperfection of the plate is taken into account. A perturbation technique and an iterative numerical procedure are employed to determine the buckling temperature and thermal postbuckling load-deflection curves. A program is developed for the purpose and many examples are solved numerically. The numerical illustrations concern the thermal postbuckling behavior of antisymmetric angle-ply and symmetric cross-ply laminated plates under different sets of thermoelastic properties and without an elastic foundation or resting on two-parameter elastic foundations from which results for Winkler elastic foundations are obtained as a limiting case. The effects played by transverse shear deformation, plate aspect ratio, total number of plies, fiber orientation, foundation stiffness as well as initial geometric imperfections are studied.

A nonlinear bending analysis is presented for a rectangular Reissner-Mindlin plate with free edges subjected to combined transverse partially distributed load and compressive edge loading and resting on a two-parameter (Pasternak-type) elastic foundation. The formulations are based on the Reissner-Mindlin plate theory considering the first-order shear deformation effect, and including the plate-foundation interaction. The analysis uses a mixed Galerkin-perturbation technique to determine the load-deflection curves and load-bending moment curves. Numerical examples are presented that relate to the performances of moderately thick rectangular plates with free edges subjected to combined loading and resting on Pasternaktype elastic foundations from which results for Winkler elastic foundations are obtained as a limiting case. The influence played by a number of effects, among them foundation stiffness, transverse shear deformation, loaded area, the plate aspect ratio and initial compressive load are studied. Typical results are presented in dimensionless graphical form.

A post-buckling analysis is presented for a stiffened laminated cylindrical shell of finite length subject to combined loading of external pressure and axial compression. The formulations are based on a boundary layer theory of shell buckling which includes the effects of the nonlinear pre-buckling deformation, the nonlinear large deflection in the post-buckling range and the initial geometrical imperfection of the shell. The "smeared stiffener" approach is adopted for the stiffeners. The analysis uses a singular perturbation technique to determine the interactive buckling loads and the post-buckling equilibrium paths. Numerical examples cover the performances of perfect and imperfect, stiffened and unstiffened cross-ply laminated cylindrical shells. Typical results are presented in dimensionless graphical form.