Postbuckling of Orthotropic Annular Plates

Abstract

The postbuckling behavior of orthotropic annular plates due to in-plane compressive loads applied at the outer edge is considered. The governing differential equations are derived by extending von Karman’s nonlinear plate theory to include orthotropic material properties. It is then assumed that the deformations are restricted to axisymmetric forms and the equations are specialized on the basis of this restriction. The equations are given in nondimensional form and are solved by a numerical technique originally employed by Keller and Reiss. Parameters of interest are the membrane and bending stresses, deflections, and slopes. The curves illustrate the importance of including the orthotropicity of the material in analyses.