Bending analysis of simply supported rectangular laminated composite plates using a new computation method based on analytical solution of layerwise theory

This paper presents the analysis of simply supported rectangular laminated composite plates loaded perpendicularly to the middle plane using a new computational method based on Reddy’s layerwise theory. The stress–strain analysis was based on the analytical solution of equations of the layerwise theory, where the plates with an antisymmetric layer arrangement were analysed. Each of the layers contains continuous fibres oriented in one of two mutually orthogonal directions. The results obtained by applying above-mentioned computational procedure have been compared with the results obtained using three different models of finite elements of the ANSYS software package. The quantified limits of the computational method in terms of the impact of plate thickness, the number of layers and the aspect ratio of the plate on the accuracy, convergence and stability of primary variables—components of displacement, and secondary variables—components of stress, have been analysed in the paper.