An Analytical Shear Factor for FGM Circular Plates with Non-uniform Elastic Foundations and Normal and Shear Tractions

The available shear correction factors have mainly been developed for homogeneous isotropic plates and/or assuming that no shear tractions are imposed on the top and bottom surfaces of the plate. In the present research, a more general case of a circular functionally graded plate subjected to non-uniform normal and shear tractions at the top and bottom surfaces is considered. These non-uniform tractions may stem from the imposed non-uniform inclined tractions at the top surface and resting on the non-uniform Winkler-Pasternak elastic foundations. Instead of using the approximate numerical methods, the solutions are derived using a pure analytical method. In this regard, influences of the proposed analytical correction factor are evaluated on results of both the modal and the stress analyses.