Buckling Analysis of Laminated Composite Plates under Thermal Conditions

In present work, buckling analysis of laminated composite plates is carried out using recently proposed higher-order zigzag theory (HOZT). Third order variation of in-plane displacement field is taken across the thickness of the plate. For predicting the behavior efficiently for thick plates, quadratic variation of transverse displacement field is assumed for core layer and constant for face layers. The present theory satisfies inter-laminar transverse shear stress continuity condition at interface along with zero value at top and bottom surface of the plate. In present study, nine-noded finite element having eleven degrees of freedom per node is used. Present model is free from requirement of any kind of penalty function or C-1 condition.