Parallelogrammic elements in the solution of rhombic cantilever plate problems

Abstract

The finite element method is applied to the calculation of the deflection under a uniformly distributed load and the natural frequencies of the rhombic cantilever plate. This has required the derivation of stiffness and inertia matrices for a plate element of parallelogrammic planform.Although, in common with the work of past investigators, the accuracy of the results decreases with increase in skew angle it is shown that the method is adequate for angles up to about 45°.