Enhancing Analysis of Cross-Ply Laminated Composite Plates: A Simplified Approach for Flexural and Stability Evaluation

In this article, we examine cross-ply laminated composite plates using a simple sinusoidal shear deformation model to analyze their flexural and stability behaviors. Our model, which contains only four unknown variables, offers a more concise alternative to first-order shear deformation theories (FSDT) or other higher-order models. By integrating undetermined integral terms into the in-plane kinematics, we accurately capture the influence of shear deformation. Our proposed theory ensures adherence to the conditions of zero shear stress at the bottom and top faces of the plates, without resorting to the shear correction coefficient. The equations of motion stem from our formulation using the principle of virtual work in its dynamic version. The an analytical solution is obtained through double trigonometric series proposed by Navier. We then compare the stresses, displacements and natural frequencies, forces calculated using our method with other published data, thereby demonstrating a good level of agreement between the results.