Application Of First Order Shear Deformation Theory For Buckling Analysis Of Functionally Graded Plates

In this paper, the buckling behavior of functionally graded material (FGM) plates under thermal load is investigated based on the first order shear deformation theory. The material is graded in the thickness direction according to a power-law distribution in terms of the volume fractions of the constituents. The thermal loads are assumed to be uniform, linear and non-linear distribution through-the-thickness. The derived equilibrium and buckling equations are then solved analytically for a plate with simply supported boundary conditions. Numerical examples cover the effects of the gradient index, plate aspect ratio, side-to-thickness ratio and loading type on the critical buckling for FGM plates.