A general vibration model of angle-ply laminated plates that accounts for the continuity of interlaminar stresses

This paper presents the generalisation of a well documented two-dimensional shear deformable laminated shell theory [Compos. Struct. 25 (1993) 165] that, based on a fixed number of unknown variables, was initially proposed for laminates made of specially orthotropic layers only. The theory is here specialised for laminated plates but is able to encompass monoclinic layers in a general multilayered configuration. Moreover, it is able to account for the interlaminar continuity or both displacements and transverse shear stresses. Higher-order effects, as shear deformation and rotary inertia, are naturally included into the formulation. In order to obtain the relevant governing differential equations, both Hamilton's variational principle and a recently proposed vectorial approach [Compos. Engng. 3 (1993) 3] have been independently used. The effectiveness of the present model is tested numerically by comparing its results with exact three-dimensional elasticity results obtained under the particular condition that the plates vibrate in cylindrical bending. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.