Bending and Free Vibration Analyses of Rectangular Laminated Composite Plates Resting on Elastic Foundation Using a Refined Shear Deformation Theory

In this paper, a closed form solution for bending and free vibration analyses of simply supported rectangular laminated composite plates is presented. The static and free vibration behavior of symmetric and antisymmetric laminates is investigated using a refined first-order shear deformation theory. The Winkler–Pasternak two-parameter model is employed to express the interaction between the laminated plates and the elastic foundation. The Hamilton’s principle is used to derive the governing equations of motion. The accuracy and efficiency of the theory are verified by comparing the developed results with those obtained using different laminate theories. The laminate theories including the classical plate theory, the classical first-order shear deformation theory, the higher order shear deformation theory and a three-dimensional layerwise theory are selected in order to perform a comprehensive comparison. The effects of the elastic foundation parameters, orthotropy ratio and width-to-thickness ratio on the bending deflection and fundamental frequency of laminates are investigated.