Green's function approach to the nonlinear bending of closely-spaced parallel plates (Q675507)

We present a new extension of the Green's function method in computational mechanics. An iterative procedure is developed for analyzing the nonlinear contact interaction in a system of closely-spaced parallel thin plates, possibly situated just above a Winkler foundation. The plates have uniform thicknesses and are composed of isotropic homogeneous elastic materials. Frictionless contact is also assumed. Linear problems appearing within each iteration are attacked by a version of the Green's function method. The technique utilizes the analytically constructed Green's functions and matrices for the biharmonic equation and Lame's system of the plane problem in the theory of elasticity. Contact conditions for each plate in the system are treated by implementing penalty functions.