Saint-Venant end effects in multilayered piezoelectric laminates

The Saint-Venant end effects and stress decay in multilayered laminates of piezoelectric materials are studied. A state space approach is developed in the context of generalized plane strain. By means of matrix algebra and transfer matrix, the characteristics of the stress decay in 2-D piezoelectric strips and laminates are examined. Their elastic counterparts are included as special cases. Evaluation of the characteristic decay length for typical materials shows that the Saint- Venant end effects are significant. It also indicates that the analysis based on the plane strain assumption is misleading