Efficient C0 Finite Element Formulation for Thermal Stress Analysis of Laminated Composite and Sandwich Plates

Abstract

By introducing thermal expansion coefficients in the transverse displacement field, this paper proposes an approach to improve the performance of the global-local higher-order theory for thermal stress analysis of laminated composite plates. Transverse normal deformation has been considered in the proposed model, whereas the additional displacement variables have not increased because thermal loads could be included in the generalized force vector. The proposed model a priori satisfies the continuity conditions of transverse shear stresses at interfaces, and the number of displacement variables involved in the present model is independent of the number of layers. The derivatives of transverse displacement have been eliminated from the displacement field so that the