Nonlinear static analysis of rectangular plates on elastic foundations by the orthogonal point collocation method (Q1095719)

The conventional interior point collocation method is greatly improved if the collocation points are located at the zeros of orthogonal polynomials. In this paper, the simplicity and good accuracy of this orthogonal point collocation method is demonstrated for the solution of some geometrically nonlinear problems of moderately large deflections of rectangular plates subjected to static loads. Von Kármán-type governing equations are employed. Clamped and simply supported plates with immovable inplane conditions at the edges are considered. Plates which are simply supported at two opposite edges and clamped at the other two edges are also analyzed. Winkler and Pasternak models of elastic foundations are used. The present results agree quite well with the available ones. New results are presented for orthotropic plates resting on Winkler and Pasternak foundations.