Shape control of non-symmetric piezolaminated composite beams

In this paper the exact deflections of generally laminated piezoelectric composite beams are found using a new method, which includes the effect of rotary inertia and shear deformations. The effect of shear in laminated beams is more significant than in homogenous beams due to the fact that the ratio of extensional stiffness to the transverse shear stiffness is high. The exact stiffness matrix is derived, and then any set of boundary conditions, including elastic connections and assembly of members, can be solved as in the classical direct stiffness method for framed structures. In this paper several examples are given, and the posibilities for shape control are investigated. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd.