This paper deals with a new 48-degrees-of-freedom rectangular finite element for analysing moderately thick, multilayered composite plates. The formulation is based on a kinematics which allows one to exactly ensure the continuity conditions for the displacements, and the transverse stresses at the interfaces between the layers of a laminated structure and zero stress conditions at the top and bottom surfaces of the plate. The shear correction factors are not required in the formulation, as the transverse shear deformations are defined using trigonometric functions that are of higher order. The effectiveness of the element is tested against standard problems concerning statics, vibration and buckling, for which exact three-dimensionalumerical solutions are available.
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