Static buckling and free vibration analysis of composite/ sandwich plates using improved transverse shear stiffness

A simple 4-noded quadrilateral shear-flexible plate element has been developed for the analysis of layered Composite/Sandwich laminates. The element is free from shear-locking and mechanisms. An improved transverse shear representation of the element stiffness makes it suitable for the analysis of either composite or sandwich plates. The accuracy of the element for the Static, Stability and Free Vibration analyses of Composite/Sandwich plates has been illustrated through extensive numerical examples. The element has been developed for use in a Laminate Design and Analysis Assistant (LAMDA) expert system