Higher-Order Universal Modeling of Composite Sandwich Plates with Material and Geometric Irregularities

A higher-order universal model for composite sandwich plates is systematically constructed as an extension of a previous study(1). A significant compromise between accuracy and capability is achieved, up to the first-order, via the asymptotic synthesis of equivalent single-layer and layer-wise theories, considering warping fields and interlaminar continuity conditions. Moreover, higher-order recovery relationships are introduced as the necessary ingredient for two-dimensional plate theories to provide expressions for the three-dimensional displacement, strain, and stress fields of the original structure. Through critical comparisons of this proposed approach to three-dimensional elasticity and other two-dimensional approaches reported in literature, the good agreement demonstrates the capability and accuracy of the proposed approach in predicting the mechanical behavior of composite sandwich plates with various material and geometric irregularities.