Buckling and free vibration of non-homogeneous composite cross-ply laminated plates with various plate theories

Various theories of homogeneous laminated plates are extended to study the buckling and free vibration behavior of non-homogeneous rectangular composite laminates. The equations governing the dynamic response of non-homogeneous composite laminates are deduced. Numerical results for the natural frequencies and critical buckling loads of symmetric cross-ply laminates are presented. The influences of the degree of non-homogeneity, aspect ratio, thickness ratio and in-plane orthotropy ratio on the natural frequencies and critical buckling loads are investigated. The results obtained for homogeneous cases are compared with their counterparts in the literature. The study concludes that the classical plate theory is inadequate for predicting the structural response of non-homogeneous laminates, and that the free vibration and the state of the stability are affected strongly by the degree of nonhomogeneity. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.