Saint-Venant decay rates for an inhomogeneous isotropic linear thermoelastic strip

In this paper we consider the state of plane strain in an isotropic and inhomogeneous thermoelastic material occupying a rectangular strip. Such a strip is maintained in equilibrium under self-equilibrated traction applied on one of the heated edges, while the other three edges are thermally insulated and traction-free. Our aim is to derive some explicit spatial estimates describing how certain appropriate measures of the Airy stress function and temperature evolve with respect to the distance from the loaded and heated edge, provided specific assumptions are made upon the derivatives of the thermoelastic coefficients. The results of the present paper prove how the spatial decay rate varies with the inhomogeneous constitutive profile.