Hygrothermal analysis of laminated composite plates in terms of an improved C-0-type global-local model

摘要

In this paper, an efficient improved C-type global-local model (IGLM) considering transverse normal strain is proposed to study the hygrothermal response of thick cross-ply laminated composite plates. Based on the interlaminar continuity conditions of in-plane displacement and transverse shear stresses, layer-dependent variables could be reduced. Employing shear stress free condition at the upper and the lower surfaces, derivatives of transverse displacement are eliminated from the displacement field, so that C interpolation functions are only required for the finite element implementation. As a result, the number of variables is independent of the number of layers of the laminate. To assess the proposed model, the classical quadratic eight-node isoparametric element is presented, in which the interelement 0 continuity conditions are satisfied. Comparing the results from available three-dimensional elasticity theory and those computed from the ninth-order model, it is found that the simple C finite elements could produce promising deformations and stresses for thick cross-ply laminated composite plates with different boundary conditions under hygrothermal loadings. (C) 2017 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.