Analysis of thermo-elastic plates based on Reissner’s mixed variational theorem

Analysis of composite/sandwich plates under thermal loads has greater significance due to its extensive application in ocean and aerospace structures. This paper addresses the analysis of composite/sandwich plates under thermal load using layer-wise mixed finite element method. The Reissner mixed variational theorem (RMVT) has been used for the thermal analysis of plates. Transverse stress assumptions are made in the framework of RMVT and the resulting finite element describes a priori inter-laminar continuous transverse shear and normal stresses. This method is equally applicable to the analysis of plates under mechanical and thermal loads. Numerical examples are solved to validate the present formulation using a code developed in C-language and the results obtained with the present model are in good agreement with the analytical solutions available in literature.