Asymmetric buckling of bimodulus thick annular plates

An annular element with Lagrangian polynomials and trigonometric functions as shape functions is developed for asymmetric finite element stability analysis. The annular element is based on the Mindlin plate theory so that the effect of transverse shear deformation is included. Using the asymmetric finite element model, the asymmetric static buckling of bimodulus thick annular plates subjected to a combination of a pure bending stress and compressive normal stress is investigated. The obtained results of non-dimensional critical buckling coefficients are shown to be very accurate when compared with the exact solutions. The effects of various parameters on the buckling coefficients are studied. The bimodulus properties are shown to have significant influences on the buckling coefficients.