Analysis of Interlaminar Stresses in General Cross-Ply Composite Plates Subjected to Free Vibration

Abstract

In this paper, within the displacement field of the first-order shear deformation theory, free vibrations of cross-ply composite rectangular plates are studied and the natural frequencies and dynamic interlaminar stresses are obtained. In the theoretical formulations the effects of all the rotational inertia terms are considered. Also the change in the plate thickness is taken into account due to its important role in the edge effects. The obtained equations are solved analytically using the state-space approach for the case of free vibration. The accuracy and effectiveness of the present theory are demonstrated by comparing the results of the first-order theory with those obtained from the finite element method.