Thermal postbuckling analysis of imperfect Reissner-Mindlin plates on softening nonlinear elastic foundations (Q1276070)

The author presents a thermal post-buckling analysis for a simply supported, moderately thick rectangular plate subjected to uniform or non-uniform tent-like temperature loading and resting on a softening nonlinear elastic foundation. The analytical formulation of the problem uses the Reissner-Mindlin first-order shear deformation plate theory, including the plate-foundation interaction and thermal effects. A deflecting-type perturbation technique allows to determine thermal buckling loads and post-buckling equilibrium paths. Nonlinear pre-buckling deformation and initial geometrical imperfections, assumed as the initial buckling mode of the plate, are taken into account, and the material properties of the plate are supposed to be independent of temperature. The obtained results describe the effects of foundation stiffness, transverse shear deformation, plate aspect ratio, and initial geometrical imperfections. Numerical examples illustrate the obtained method.