Analysis of Laminated Circular Plates

An elasticity solution is obtained to the problem of a thin, laminated, isotropic circular plate under combined transverse and edge loading. The analysis yields an approximate, thin-plate theory which reduces to an exact, closed-form solution when the plate is loaded by edge forces and moments only. The results show that, under edge loading, the stress state is purely biaxial, there being no interlaminar normal or shearing stresses such as are usually present in bulk composite bodies. Further, an estimate of the edge-effect correction which is present when the applied stress distribution does not match the internal stress distribution, discloses no unusual effects due to the laminated structure. Under combined loading, a complex state of in-plane, normal and shearing stresses exists which is coupled through the property variations.