Postbuckling Behavior of Rectangular Plates With Small Initial Curvature Loaded in Edge Compression

Abstract

The solution of Marguerre’s fundamental equations for large deflections of thin plates with slight initial curvature is presented for the case of a rectangular plate subjected to edge compression. The problem is solved under eight different boundary conditions, combining two kinds of loading conditions and four kinds of supporting conditions. Numerical solutions are obtained for square plates with and without initial deflection, and the connections of deflection, edge shortening, and effective width of the plate with applied loads are clarified. The solutions here obtained include as special cases those investigated by Levy and Coan.