Estimation of elastic constants of thick laminated plates within a Bayesian framework

This paper compares two estimators for the dynamic identification of elastic constants of thick laminated composite plates. The plate’s response is modeled by finite elements based on Reddy’s third-order theory. The elastic constants are estimated within a Bayesian framework, using two estimators available in the literature. The estimators differ in the way they account for a priori information on the elastic constants to be identified. The resultant estimation procedures are critically examined and compared by paying special attention to the influence of a priori information on the final estimates. A unified interpretation of the two estimators is given and a modified strategy is proposed in order to improve reliability and convergence of the estimation process. Identification results for various case studies are presented.