Axisymmetric bending and buckling analysis of thick functionally graded circular plates using unconstrained third-order shear deformation plate theory

In the present article, axisymmetric bending and buckling of perfect functionally graded solid circular plates are studied based on the unconstrained third-order shear deformation plate theory (UTST). The UTST releases the shear-free condition on the top and bottom surfaces of plate which can be particularly useful when the plate is subjected to contact friction or presented in a flow field where the boundary layer shear stress is substantial. The solutions for deflections, force and moment resultants and critical buckling loads in bending and bucking analysis of functionally graded circular plates using UTST are presented in terms of the corresponding quantities of the homogeneous plates based on the classical plate theory (CPT). It is assumed that the non-homogeneous mechanical properties of plate, graded through the thickness, are described by a power function of the thickness coordinate. Resulting equations are employed to obtain the closed-form solutions. Numerical results for the maximum displacement and critical buckling load are presented for various percentages of ceramic-metal volume fractions and have been compared with those obtained using first- and third-order shear deformation plate theories.