Thin-Walled Structures 2,4 (1996) 83-96

Copyright © 1996 Elsevier Science Limited

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ELSEVIER 0263-8231(95)00036-4

Buckling of Orthotropic Plates With Free and Rotationally

Restrained Unloaded Edges

Lawrence C. Bank & Jiansheng Yin

Department of Civil Engineering,Catholic University of America, Washington,
DC 20064, USA
(Received 22 June 1994; accepted 6 September 1994; received for publication 8 June 1995)

ABSTRACT

Solutions and parametric studies are presented for the buckling of

rectangular plates whose axes of material orthotropy coincide with the axes
of the plate. The results presented apply to homogeneous orthotropic plates,
stiffened orthotropic plates, and laminated composite material plates
having flexural orthotropy (i.e. single ply and multiply unidirectional, and
symmetric cross-ply composite plates). The plates considered are subjected
to uniform uniaxial compression and simply supported on the loaded edges.
The boundary conditions are different on the two unloaded edges; one edge
being free and the other edge being elastically restrained against rotation.
Parametric studies showing the effect of the orthotropic properties of the
plate materials, the plate aspect ratio, the rotational restraint of the one
unloaded edge and the buckle half-wavelength are discussed. Results in the
form of nondimensional buckling curves are given in terms of orthotropy
ratios and in terms of propert&s of common unidirectionally reinforced
composite material. The use of the solution in conjunction with
experimental data to predict the edge rotational restraint coefficient for
thin-walled composite material beams is described.

INTRODUCTION

The buckling o f an orthotropic plate, simply supported on its loaded

edges and free and rotationally restrained on its unloaded edges ( S R S F -

83
84 Lawrence C. Bank, Jiansheng Yin

Simple, Restrained, Simple, Free) is discussed in this paper. The work

was motivated by research on the influence of transverse mechanical
properties on the local buckling of thin-walled I-section composite
material beams such as those used in the aerospace and construction
industries. ~ Unstiffened flanges of these thin-walled beams are free on
one edge and restrained from rotation by an adjoining plate (often a
web) on the other edge. In what follows, the background literature is
reviewed, the governing equations for the SRSF orthotropic plate are
presented and their solution is given in the form of a characteristic
transcendental equation. This is followed by parametric studies and a
discussion of the factors that influence the buckling of SRSF
orthotropic plates.
The buckling of an SRSF isotropic plate has been discussed in
numerous classic monographs. 2-5 The solution procedures, the
development of the characteristic equations and the graphical presentation
of the results in the form of the familiar "garland' shaped buckling curves
in terms of a nondimensional buckling coefficient and an edge restraint
coefficient are well known. The influence of the rotational restraint on the
buckling load has been discussed and is well understood. The buckling of
orthotropic plates is almost as well documented as that of isotropic plates
and has been discussed in many of the above texts in conjunction with
stiffened plate systems and in texts dealing with composite material plates
such as Lekhnitskii, 6 Jones, 7 Vinson and Sierakowski 8 and Whitney. 9 An
extensive review of the literature on the buckling of composite material
plates was performed by Leissa. ~0 As in the case of isotropic plates, exact
solutions to many buckling problems of orthotropic plates are readily
available. ~ However, very little work has been published on the problem
of the orthotropic plate that is free and rotationally restrained on its
unloaded edges (SRSF). The 'exact' solution methodology is well known
and Shuleshko ~2 has presented the characteristic equation for the SRSF
case considered in this paper (the characteristic equation presented by
Shuleshko ~2 has been found to contain typographical errors). Shuleshko ~2
did not give the explicit form of the boundary conditions for this case nor
did he give any characteristic buckling curves. In related work on the
buckling and post-buckling of GRP thin-walled sections, Banks and
Rhodes ~3"~4 used the SRSF solution and discussed the effect of edge
restraint on the buckling and post-buckling behavior of the sections. They
did not, however, present parametric studies or buckling curves showing
the effect of mechanical properties on the buckling behavior. This paper
follows the previous papers and presents in standard form, parametric
information on buckling of SRSF orthotropic plates that is not available
elsewhere.
 Buckling of orthotropic plates 85

GOVERNING EQUATIONS

The governing differential equation for the stability analysis of a homo-

geneous orthotropic plate loaded by in-plane forces in the x-direction as
shown in Fig. l, is given as, 6
04W 04W 04W 02W
D1 ~ x 4 + 2 D 3 0~x 2 0 y k- D2 ~y4 + Nx Ox 2 -- 0 (1)

where w is the transverse displacement and N~ is the compressive force per

unit width of the plate and,
Ellh 3 E22h3 Gizh 3
Dl = 12(1 - •12•21) ' D2 = 12(1 - Vl2V21 ) ' D3 = Di V21 + T (2)
D~, D2, and D3 are the principal stiffnesses (rigidities) of the orthotropic
plate, Ell and E22 a r e the longitudinal (x-direction) and transverse (y-
direction) plate moduli, respectively, vl2 is the major Poisson ratio (i.e. the
ratio of the transverse strain to the axial strain under an axial stress), v21 is
the minor Poisson ratio, Gl2 is the in-plane shear modulus and h is the
plate thickness.
For a flexurally orthotropic laminated composite material plate, having
a unidirectional layup or symmetric cross-ply layup, the governing
equation 7,9 can be written in terms of the laminated plate flexural stiffness
coefficients, Dij, 7" 15 which are related to the orthotropic plate rigidities,
Di, as follows,

DI = D l l , D2 = D22, D3 = DI2 + 2D66 (3)

FREE
D
x
E
E

!,
3~
-]
~j
i2 E,,
,,,E
#.E
ctJ
N~

3
RESTRAINED

Fig. 1. Orthotropic plate with free and rotationally restrained unloaded edges and simply
supported loaded edges.
86 Lawrence C. Bank, Jiansheng Yin
1
Dij = -~ (Qij)k (z3 - z3 -1 ) (4)
k=l
where Oij are the off-axis lamina (ply) stiffness coefficients and zk is the
distance from the midplane of the plate to the bottom of the kth lamina.
The boundary conditions for the simply supported loaded edges of the
plate at x = 0 and x = a are,

WIx=o,a = 0

M~ lx=O,a = O ~ ~02W
x 2 x=0, a = 0 (5)

where Mx is the m o m e n t per unit width (y-direction) of the plate. The

boundary conditions on the free edge at y = 0 are,

My [y=O = 0 => ~/02B'

y 2 4-' v,2 02W'~oX2
j . v=0 = 0
(6)
OMxv y=0 [03w ( {2/)_3 "~ 03w ] v=0
Qv + ~ = 0 => joy 3 + k,D2 - v,2J Ox2OyJ . = 0

where My and Qy are, respectively, the m o m e n t and shear force per unit
length (x-direction) of the plate. The boundary conditions on the
rotationally restrained edge at y = b are,

wly=b = 0

My-SOW =0~ -D2~-S =0

y=b
where S is the restraining m o m e n t along the rotationally restrained edge
per unit length per unit rotation. 5'13 A nondimensional 'coefficient of
rotational restraint' R (alternatively identified as e, in the literature) can be
defined as,
Sb
R~--- (8)
D2
where b is the plate width. The second boundary condition on the
restrained edge can then be written as,

Oy 2 -~y =0 (9)
 Bucklingof orthotropicplates 87

Following Shuleshko, 12 nondimensional variables, X and Y, are

introduced as,

x y = y_ (lO)
X__-- - -
a b
In terms of these variables, which have limits of 0 and l, eqn (1) can be
written as,
Ol (b~404W D3 (~) 2 04w 04w g2 (~) 2 02W-o (11)
D2 \a] OX4 + 2 ~ OX20y2 + - ~ + Kx OX2
where Kx is the 'buckling coefficient' defined as,

Nxb2 (12)
K~ -- n2D2
The boundary conditions given by eqns (5), (6) and (9) are written in terms
of the nondimensional variables as,

WIX=0,1 = 0
(13)
O2W =0
OX2 X=0,
I

=0
or~ + v'~ \ a ) -ff-~} Y=O
(14)
03W
+ D3_v,~)a~w ] =0
Y=O

wlr:l = 0

02W OW (15)
-g~ + R S-r) Y=I = 0

SOLUTION METHOD AND CHARACTERISTIC EQUATION

Following the standard procedure for plates simply supported on their

two opposite edges, 6 the solution to eqn (11) is chosen in a form that
satisfies eqn (13) as,
88 Lawrence C. Bank, Jiansheng Yin

w = f(Y) sin mrcX (16)

Substituting eqn (16) into eqn (11) gives the governing equation for f(Y)
as,
d4f 2 D3 (!)2 (mr02 d2f {D1 (~)4(mr04-
dr----~ - ~
()b2
_
~f
= 0
\a/ j
(17)
The solution to eqn (17) is in the form,
f(Y) = Cl sin h21 Y + C2 cos h21 Y + (73 sin 22 Y + Ca cos 22 Y (18)
where,

2, = rrm (!) I,/(D3"~2-D' Kx (i) 2 D3 (19)

V \n2/ D2 + ~ +D-S

VkD2,] D2
+~Kx(~)2 D2D3 (20)
The boundary conditions for eqn (17) given on the Y edges by eqns (14)
and (15) are used to obtain a set of four equations in terms of the
coefficients CrC4. For a nontrivial solution to this set of equations the
determinant of the system is set to zero and the characteristic transcen-
dental equation for the buckling of the SRSF plate is obtained as,

_ ( 2 ~ + 2 ~ ) [ 2 ~1
A2 cosh~.l sin22 - 22 ~2
A, sinh).l cos22]+

A2
R[(2~l-2~a~)Sirlh21sin22-2,22(a~ +~)
cos h21 cos 22 - 2,tl 22[ = 0 (21)
3
where,

Al =2~-(mn) 2 a vl2
(22)
A 2 = 2 ~ + ( m n ) 2 a vl2

The characteristic equation for the SRSF orthotropic plate given by

Shuleshko (Ref. 12, eqn (33)) contains typographical errors. Equation (21)
 Buckling of orthotropic plates 89

is the correct characteristic equation for this problem (in slightly different
notation from that of Shuleshko).
The transcendental equation is solved numerically to determine the
buckling coefficient, Kx, as a function of the plate properties (D~, D2, D3
and v~2), the value of the edge restraint coefficient, R, the plate aspect
ratio tp = a/b, and the mode number m (which is equal to the number of
half-wavelengths in the buckled configuration). The buckling mode is
given by the mode number for which the smallest Kx is obtained for a
given set of parameters.
A F O R T R A N program was written to perform the parametric studies
reported in what follows. The characteristic transcendental equation was
solved using the Z R E A L subroutine of the IMSL software package.

P A R A M E T R I C STUDIES A N D DISCUSSION

Parametric studies were performed to investigate the influence of

anisotropy ratio, material properties, rotational restraint and wavelength
on the buckling characteristics of SRSF orthotropic plates. Two sets of
studies were conducted. In the first set the buckling coefficient was
obtained for different anisotropy ratios and coefficient of rotational
restraint values as a function of the plate aspect ratio, ~b = a/b. In the
second set, representative properties for three typical composite material
systems were used. In this set buckling curves are shown both in the
conventional form and in a modified form. A procedure is described in
which the modified form of the buckling curves can be used to determine
the rotational restraint value from experimental data.
In the first set of results, buckling curves are shown for a total of nine
representative combinations of anisotropy ratios, D~/D2 = 0.1, 1, 10 and
D3/D2 = 0.5, 1, 2 in Figs 2-4. Due to the fact that the rotational restraint
is a variable parameter each plot only shows one set of anisotropy ratios
for multiple R values. R = 0 corresponds to a simple support and R = c~
corresponds to a clamped support. Intermediate values of R imply partial
rotational restraint. In the numerical studies R = 10,000 was taken to
represent R = c~. The case of DI/D2 = D3/D2 = 1 corresponds to the
isotropic plate. It is important to note the effect of varying not only the
D1/D2 ratio (which is equal to Ell~E22) but also the D3/D2 ratio. Often
parametric studies are presented with a constant value of D3/D2 = 1.
Since the shear modulus of composite materials can be relatively low it is
important to investigate the effect of varying the D3/D2 ratio.
In the case of a plate with a free edge the Poisson ratio appears
explicitly in the boundary conditions (see eqn (14)) and the buckling
90 Lawrence C. Bank, Jiansheng Yin

i i , r 2.5

i Dt/Da= I DI/D~= 1
~ 12 Da/D2=O 5 Dz/D 2 = 1
u12=O 3 20 ul~=o 3
\.
% io t
%.
=., m-e R

~ Og
zo
Io
5 zo
~ 06 3
2 ~ ~o
.~ 04 o!6
03
O3
015 oo
m 02
O0

O0 00
2 4 6 8 10 12 4 6 8 10
Length-width Ratio ¢=a/b Length-width Ratio ~=a/b

(a) (b)

Z. 0

D/D~= 1
55 DJDa-2
via=0 3

% 50
z ~
ii
~" 2 5

{ 2o
a(1
,:
~ ~5

1.0 00

05 ~ ~ ~ ~ _ _
0 2 4 6 8 1 0 12

Length-width Ratio ¢-a/b

(c)
Fig. 2. (a) Buckling curves for Dj/D2 = 1, D3/D2 = 0.5, v12 -- 0.3; (b) buckling curves for
Dr~D2 = 1, D3/D2 = 1.0, vl2 = 0 . 3 ; (c) buckling curves for DI/D2 = 1, Ds/D2 = 2.0,
h2 = 0.3.

curves must therefore be given as a function of the Poisson ratio. For

boundary conditions that do not involve a free edge, the buckling curves
can be given in terms of the anisotropy ratios alone (for example, Ref. 10).
In other words, in the case of a plate with a free edge it is not sufficient to
specify only the plate stiffness D3 but all four of the plate orthotropic
properties need to be specified. It is also important to recognize that since
the Poisson ratio appears in the boundary conditions (eqn. (14)) a realistic
value of this Poisson ratio must be used in the parametric studies. This is
 Buckling of orthotropieplates 91

40 1 , i r i
i , i i i

DJDz= tO DI/D2= 10 ]
35 DJDz=O 5 Dn/D~= 1
vl~=03 v,2=O 3
~ 3o
z~
ii 29 M
so
2o
io 3 .%-
i~ 20
5o
~o
3
2 i Lo

a ~
2
2
"~ 10 t
o6
o3 g 1 03
o 15 ot5
O5

i i i i ; _ . J
O0 L i i h ~ 0
0 2 4 6 8 10 1,:' 0 4 6 8 1C 12

Length-width Ratio ~=a/b Length width Ratio ¢=a'b

(a) (b)

i , i i , i

D J D 2 = 10
6 | D3/D2=2
v=2=03

"QM

2
2 1o
~ 3 5

o3
o |5
oo
1

0 i L i t i

0 2 a 6 8 10 12
Length width Ratio ¢=a/b

(c)

Fig. 3. (a) Buckling curves for Di/D2 = 10, D3/D2 = 0-5, V12 = 0.3; ( b ) buckling curves for
DI/D2 = 10, D3/D2 = 1-0, vl2 = 0-3; (c) buckling curves for DI/D2 = 10, D3/D2 = 2.0,
vl2 = 0.3.

particularly important for the case in which D I / D 2 ~- 0" 1. If v12 is taken as

0.3 (which is a typical value) for DI/D2 = 10, then for the case of
D1/D2 = 0-1, vl2 must be taken as 0-03 (i.e. the major and minor Poisson
ratios are interchanged).
The following can be observed from the buckling curves shown in Figs
2-4: (a) For a constant D1/D2 the value of the buckling coefficient
increases as D3/D2 increases. (b) For R = 0 the number of half-waves, m,
is one for all anisotropy ratios. This is well known for the simply suppor-
92 Lawrence C. Bank, Jiansheng Yin

1.0 ~.2 , , - ,
/I DI/Dz=O I II Dt/D2=O I I4
0.9 I-I D3/Da=O 5 ~1 I-I Da/D*=t
Vla=O03
1.0 *'~ ** v'a=O 03 1

~ 07

o,o ¢
~" 0 9
I IrA~ ' ' ~ - - - ~ ~
so
~o
4 I

~ o.7
~ - oe
o3[--,~_.~-- ;7
0 2 ~ ~ - - 0 . 5 ~
0 2 4 6 8 10 0 2 4 6 8 lO 12
Length-width Ratio ~=a/b Length-width Ratio ~=a/b

(a) (b)

Du/D2=O I
Da/D2=2
e '~ . vL2=O03
~.a i 5

i¢ z~
to
5
3
2

?1

0 2 4 :, 8 10 12
Length-wldth Ratio qi=a/b

(c)

Fig. 4. (a) B u c k l i n g curves for DI/D2 --- 0.1, D3/D2 = 0.5, vl2 = 0.03; (b) buckling curves
for Dt/D2=O.1, D3/D2=I.O, v l 2 = 0 . 0 3 ; (c) buckling curves for Dt/D2=O.I,
D3/D2 = 2.0, vl2 = 0.03.

ted edge. (c) The number of half-waves increases (or the length of the half-
wave decreases) as the value of R increases. (d) The number of half-waves
decreases with increasing DI/D2. (e) The number of half-waves is not
affected by the change in D3/D2 for the range of values considered (which
are realistic for composite material systems).
In the second set o f results, buckling curves are shown for three typical
composite materials; a unidirectional graphite/epoxy (T300/5208); a
unidirectional aramid/epoxy (Kevlar 49/epoxy); and a pultruded E-glass/
 Buckling of orthotropic plates 93

polyester. Mechanical property data for the graphite/epoxy and aramid/

epoxy were taken from Tsai and Hahn, ~5 and for the glass/polyester from
the M M F G Design Manual. =6 Figure 5 shows buckling curves for the
three material systems. These curves can be used to obtain the buckling
load and number of half-waves for a specific plate for given dimensions
(a, b and h). The value of R, however, needs to be obtained separately.
According to eqn (8), R is a function of S, the restraining moment along
the edge. This is difficult to determine.
To aid in the determination of R (and S) the buckling curves can be

8 7 1 i , ,

7 T300/5208 Kevlar 4g/Epoxy

6
EII=ISI GPa E[1=76 GPa
E22= IO.3 GPa = Ezz=5 5 GPa
Gi2=7 l ? GPa G12=2 3 GPa
u,2=O 28 N 5
U I 2 : 0 34
~ 5
/2~ .-z R

cu 4

~3 3
2

~ 2
0 ts
]
1
oo

0 ~ I I I ~ 0 l i I i ,
0 2 4 6 8 I0 12 4 6 ~ 12
Length-width Ratio ~=a/b Length-width RatiO ~ = a /5

(a) (b)

_~r "EE--glass/polyester
5.5 I

~::30 E t I = 17 24 GPa
E;,2 ~6 9 GPa
N.I= G = 2 9 3 GPa
~^2z 5 - Iz 3
vlz=O

~ 20 r

~15 io

m05 oo

O0 I i = j L
0 2 4 6 8 ~0 ]2
LengLh width Ratio ~=a/b

(c)
Fig. 5. (a) Buckling curves for graphite/epoxy (T300/5208); (b) buckling curves for
aramid/epoxy (Kevlar 49/epoxy); (c) buckling curves for pultruded E-glass/polyester.
94 Lawrence C. Bank, Jiansheng Yin

plotted in a modified fashion as shown in Fig. 6. In these curves the

buckling coefficient is plotted against the coefficient of restraint R as a
function o f the number of half-waves. Admissible solutions are given by
the curve to the lower right of the figure. This curve consists o f segments
representing buckling corresponding to different numbers o f half-waves.
As the value o f R increases the buckling load increases and the number of
half-waves increases as has been observed in the previous curves. These
curves, which are plotted for a specific value of 4, = a/b = 10, can be used

7 /
i
/
7 /
0 / 6

m-J

5 ~ p o x y
e ~ 2 - ~JS / E11-76 G P a
EZz=5 5 G P a
i i
1 ~~-b .z G =2 3 GPa
tz
ul2=O
a/b=I0
34

oL I I ' ~ } i
10 -2 10 1 TOO 101 10 2 10 3 10 4 10 2 10-1 100 101 102 103 104

Coefficient of R e s t r a i n t R Coefficlent of RestrainL R

(a) (b)

& 25
//
z" 20 ~.o

E2~=6 9 GPa

10 2 10 1 100 101 102 10.3 ]04

Coefficient of R e s t r a i n t R

(c)
Fig. 6. (a) Modified buckling curves for graphite/epoxy (T300/5208); (b) modified
buckling curves for aramid/epoxy (Kev]ar 49/epoxy); (c) modified buckling curves for
pultruded E-glass polyester.
 Buckling of orthotropic plates 95

to determine the value of R from tests of full-section thin-walled beams.

Since the number of half-waves and the buckling load can be determined
by experiment, the value of R can therefore be obtained from buckling
curves of the type shown in Fig. 6. It should also be noted that for a given
set of test data (which include the mechanical properties of the material),
plots of this type can also be used to evaluate the preciseness of the test
data. For example, if a combination of buckling load and number of half-
waves is found that corresponds to a point on the curve that is not in an
admissible region (i.e. on the lowest curve) then some artifact of the
experimental investigation is questionable.

CONCLUSION

Buckling of an orthotropic plate, simply supported on its loaded edges,

and free and rotationally restrained on its unloaded edges, has been
considered in this paper. The correct form of the characteristic
transcendental equation for this buckling problem has been provided.
Parametric studies have been conducted and buckling curves have been
presented as a function of plate anisotropy ratios. The need to explicitly
specify the Poisson ratio in plates with free edges has been highlighted.
Buckling curves have also been presented for typical composite materials.
These curves may be used to estimate the buckling load for composite
plates with free and rotationally restrained edges. A modified form of the
buckling curves, which can be used to determine the value of the restraint
coefficient in conjunction with test data, has been presented.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Support for this work was provided by the National Science Foundation
under grant MSM-9015502.

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McGraw-Hill, New York, 1961.
3. Gerard, G. & Becker, H., Handbook of structural stability Part 1
Buckling of fiat plates. NACA Technical Note 3781, NACA, Washington,
DC, 1957.
96 Lawrence C. Bank, Jiansheng Yin

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