BUCKLING AND POST-BUCKLING BEHAVIOR OF PLATES ON A TENSIONLESS ELASTIC FOUNDATION

摘要

This work presents a geometrically non-linear analysis of plates resting on a tensionless foundation with emphasis on the non-linear behavior and stability of the structural system. For this, a non-linear finite element formulation based on von Karman non-linear plate theory, modified by Mindlin's hypothesis is developed. The foundation is described by a third degree polynomial function of the plate transversal displacement. To obtain the non-linear equilibrium paths, the Newton-Raphson algorithm is used together with path-following strategies. To solve the unilateral contact problem, a linear complementarity problem is derived and solved by Lemke's algorithm. Numerical results considering linear and non-linear foundation models show that the tensionless non-linear foundation has a remarkable influence on the buckling and post-buckling behavior of the plate.