Finite strip elements for laminated composite plates with transverse shear strain discontinuities

A finite strip solution for laminated plates made of composite materials is presented. Simple two-node and three-node strips are developed for the general analysis of laminated plates using a layerwise model. The plate is locally in the xy-plane and the displacement field is denoted by (u,v,w) where u,v are the in-plane displacements and w is the transverse displacement. The displacement field w is assumed to be constant through the thickness while the displacements u and v are assumed to vary linearly through each lamina thickness and therefore have C0 continuity through the composite thickness. This is achieved using the kinematic hypothesis of Mindlin plate theory. The resulting displacements allow realistically for the warping of the composite cross-section and the shear strain field is discontinuous at the lamina interfaces. Some examples are considered and the results show very good agreement with the corresponding exact solutions.