Advanced Structures Cvle 6111
Advanced Structures Cvle 6111
Advanced Structures Cvle 6111
NAHPI
Department: CIVIL ENGINEERING AND
ARCHITECTURE (CEA)
Semester: SECOND
1
2
3
1 Plate Theory
1.1 Plates
A plate is a flat structural element for which the thickness is small compared with the
surface dimensions. The thickness is usually constant but may be variable and is
measured normal to the middle surface of the plate, Fig. 1.1
lateral load
One of the differences between plane stress and plate theory is that in the plate theory the
stress components are allowed to vary through the thickness of the plate, so that there can
be bending moments, Fig. 1.2.
Fig. 1.2: Stress distribution through the thickness of a plate and resultant bending
moment
Plate theory is an approximate theory; assumptions are made and the general three-
dimensional equations of elasticity are reduced. It is very like the beam theory
only with an extra dimension. It turns out to be an accurate theory provided the plate is
relatively thin (as in the beam theory) but also that the deflections are small relative to the
thickness.
Things are more complicated for plates than for the beams. For one, the plate not only
bends, but torsion may occur (it can twist), as shown in Fig. 1.3
The stress components acting on a typical element of the plate are shown in Fig. 1.5.
z
zx zz yz
yy
xx y
x xy
The middle plane of the plate remains free of in-plane stress/strain. Bending of the plate
will cause material above and below this mid-plane to deform in-plane. The mid-plane
plays the same role in plate theory as the neutral axis does in the beam theory.
Line elements lying perpendicular to the middle surface of the plate remain perpendicular
to the middle surface during deformation, Fig. 1.6; this is similar the “plane sections
remain plane” assumption of the beam theory.
undeformed
Line elements lying perpendicular to the mid-surface do not change length during
deformation, so that zz = 0 throughout the plate. Again, this is similar to an assumption
of the beam theory.
These three assumptions are the basis of the Classical Plate Theory or the Kirchhoff
Plate Theory. The second assumption can be relaxed to develop a more exact theory.
Mx = − z
−h / 2
xx dz, M y = − z
−h / 2
yy dz
y
yy
Ny
My
xx
Nx Mx
x
y
M xy
xy
xy
M xy
N xy
N xy
x
x Vx
Note that the above “forces” and “moments” are actually forces and moments per unit
length. This allows one to have moments varying across any section – unlike in the beam
theory, where the moments are for the complete beam cross-section. If one considers an
element with dimensions x and y , the actual moments acting on the element are