Isogeometric finite element analysis of laminated composite plates based on a four variable refined plate theory

Abstract: In this paper, a novel and effective formulation based on isogeometric approach (IGA) and Refined Plate Theory (RPT) is proposed to study the behavior of laminated composite plates. Using many kinds of higher-order distributed functions, RPT model naturally satisfies the traction-free boundary conditions at plate surfaces and describes the non-linear distribution of shear stresses without requiring shear correction factor (SCF). IGA utilizes the basis functions, namely B-splines or non-uniform rational B-splines (NURBS), which achieve easily the smoothness of any arbitrary order. It hence satisfies the C1 requirement of the RPT model. The static, dynamic and buckling analysis of rectangular plates is investigated for different boundary conditions. Numerical results show high effectiveness of the present formulation.