Problems concerning the bending of isotropic thin elastic plates subject to various distributions of normal pressures

Abstract

ABSTRACTWithin the limitations of the small-deflexion plate theory, complex variable methods are used in this paper to obtain an exact solution for the problem of a thin circular plate supported at several interior or boundary points, and subjected to a certain normal loading spread over the area of an eccentric circle, the boundary of the plate being free. The load considered includes as a special case a linearly varying load over the circle and, as the radius of the loaded circle tends to zero, this load can be made to tend to a couple nucleus at its centre. As limiting cases the procedure adopted provides us with solutions appropriate to a circular plate, an infinitely large plate and a half-plane having free boundaries and acted upon by any normal system of concentrated forces and concentrated couples in equilibrium. Formulae for the moments, shears and deflexions relating to special examples are worked out in detail.