DIFFERENTIAL QUADRATURE METHOD IN THE BUCKLING ANALYSIS OF BEAMS AND COMPOSITE PLATES

This paper discusses the accuracy and convergence of the method of differential quadrature for solving a variety of differential equations with variable coefficients associated with plate and beam instability problems. The detailed solutions for buckling of rectangular, orthotropic and anisotropic, symmetric, angle-ply composite laminates under linearly varying uniaxial compression, uniaxial buckling of rectangular, isotropic plates with variable longitudinal thickness and lateral-torsional beam buckling under moment gradient are presented which highlight various computational aspects and, hopefully, contribute to a better understanding and judicious application of the method.