First Integrals and the Residual Solution for Orthotropic Plates in Plane Strain or Axisymmetric Deformations

Two classes of exact solutions are derived for the equations of three dimensional linear orthotropic elasticity theory governing flat (plate) bodies in plane strain or axisymmetric deformations. One of these is the analogue of the Levy solution for plane strain deformations of isotropic plates and is designated as the interior solutions. The other complementary class correspond to the Papkovich-Fadle Eigenfunction solutions for isotropic rectangular strips and is designated as the residual solutions. For sufficiently thin plates, the latter exhibits rapid exponential decay away from the plate edges. A set of first integrals of the elasticity equations is also derived. These first integrals are then transformed into a set of exact necessary conditions for the elastostatic state of the body to be a residual state. The results effectively remove the asymptoticity restriction of rapid exponential decay of the residual state inherent in the corresponding necessary conditions for isotropic plate problems. The requirement of rapid exponential decay effectively limits their applicability to thin plates. The result of the present paper extend the known results to thick plate problems and to orthotropic plate problems. They enable us to formulate the correct edge conditions for twodimensional orthotropic thick plate theories with stress or mixed edge data.