Frequency Analysis of FG Sandwich Rectangular Plates with a Four-Parameter Power-Law Distribution

An accurate solution procedure based on the three-dimensional elasticity theory for the free vibration analysis of Functionally Graded Sandwich (FGS) plates is presented. Since no assumptions on stresses and displacements have been employed, it can be applied to the free vibration analysis of plates with arbitrary thickness. The two-constituent FGS plate consists of ceramic and metal graded through the thickness, from one surface of the each sheet to the other according to a generalized power-law distribution with four parameters. The benefit of using generalized power-law distribution is to illustrate and present useful results arising from symmetric, asymmetric and classic profiles. Using the Generalized Differential Quadrature (GDQ) method through the thickness of the plate, further allows one to deal with FG plates with an arbitrary thickness distribution of material properties. The fast rate of convergence and accuracy of the method are investigated through the different solved examples. The effects of different geometrical parameters such as the thickness-to-length ratio, different profiles of materials volume fraction and four parameters of power-law distribution on the vibration characteristics of the FGS plates are investigated. Interesting result shows that by utilizing a suitable four-parameter model for materials volume fraction, frequency parameter can be obtained more than the frequency parameter of the similar FGS plate with sheets made of 100% ceramic and at the same time lighter. Also, results show that frequencies of symmetric and classic profiles are smaller and larger than that of other types of FGS plates respectively. The solution can be used as benchmark for other numerical methods and also the refined plate theories.