A rened buckling theory for the analysis of sandwich shells

with transversely soft ller

V.E. Verijenko
a,
*
, P.Y. Tabakov
b
, B. Verijenko
a
a
School of Mechanical Engineering, University of Natal, Durban 4041, South Africa
b
CADENCE,
1
Durban Institute of Technology, P.O. Box 953, Durban 4000, South Africa
Abstract
A state of the art of the problem of buckling in sandwich structures is discussed and the shortcomings of some existing theories
shown. A specied classication of the forms of stability is given and, in accordance with it, a rened theory for the study of the
mixed forms of stability is formulated. Dierent models of the llers are classied according to their stressstrain state. For the
transversely soft model of the ller a set of geometrically nonlinear rened relations is derived. These relations are used to describe
the subcritical instantaneous equilibrium of the sandwich plates in the case of both large and small changes in the shear stresses.
2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Keywords: Sandwich shell; Buckling
1. Introduction
In the eld of mechanics of sandwich structures, the
problems of nding and classifying all the possible forms
of buckling and the derivation of the appropriate
mathematical models and the governing equations, is
one of the main directions of research.
Until recently the stability problems of sandwich
structures were classied mostly in terms of the forms of
buckling as symmetrical and asymmetrical [1,2]. The
latter one is related to the asymmetrical bulging of
the external layers with the same amplitude values of the
bulges, whereas in the former case there is a symmetry of
buckling of the external layers with respect to the middle
surface of the ller.
Local forms of buckling form a separate group, see
for example [3,4], where the stability of three-dimen-
sional sandwich structures with ller of discrete form
(honeycomb, lattice, corrugated, etc.) and very thin ex-
ternal layers were studied. Here, cases of the intracel-
lular buckling of the external layers or their deformation
together with thin-walled elements of the ller as well as
a priori given forms of the buckling in a perturbed
condition, are considered.
Because of the limitations of the forms of buckling
many researchers studied the possibility of not taking
into account normal deformations in the ller, shear
deformations in the external layers, moment forces in
the subcritical state and many other factors when anal-
ysing a problem of stability. However, the majority of
authors use a classical approach for the solution of the
problem. Within the frameworks of this approach the
equations are rened or simplied when describing only
the perturbed condition whereas an unperturbed equi-
librium condition of the structure is free of distortion
and moments.
However, it is well known that one of main advan-
tages of the sandwich structures is that they work very
eciently as bending elements. Therefore, they are used
in situations where it is impossible to avoid the moments
in the subcritical stressstrain state. The areas where the
moments arise are usually localised and can be close to
the supports, at places of the application of point loads,
a stepped change of the thickness or material properties
of the layers, at areas of rapid change in the geometrical
characteristics, etc. In such cases the stressstrain state
in one external layer can signicantly dier from one
another and thus mixed forms of buckling are possible,
which result in maximum amplitudes in these areas.
However, the use of the traditional assumption in the
theory of stability regarding the absence of the moments
*
Corresponding author. Fax: +27-31-260-3217.
E-mail address: verijenk@nu.ac.za (V.E. Verijenko).
1
Centre for Advanced Materials, Design and Manufacturing
Research.
0263-8223/$ - see front matter 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
doi:10.1016/j.compstruct.2003.09.020
Composite Structures 62 (2003) 467474
www.elsevier.com/locate/compstruct
in the sandwich structures, led researchers to some in-
correct conclusions with respect to the classication of
the forms of buckling and the derivation of corre-
sponding linearised equations. This statement follows
from the analysis of the results presented in [5] and it led
to a rened classication given in [6] of the forms of
buckling in the sandwich structures. Here, in addition to
symmetrical and asymmetrical forms, the mixed forms
of buckling of the external layers were considered. As
was shown in further studies [7], the critical forces cor-
responding to these forms of buckling are considerably
lower than the forms corresponding to symmetrical and
asymmetrical buckling, given the same load and
boundary conditions, and in a good agreement with
experimental data obtained in [8]. Thus, in order to
determine these forms, besides shear deformation, the
normal compression in the ller as well as the moments
in the external layers and their character in the sub-
critical stressstrain state, should be taken into account.
The equations for the analysis of mixed forms of
buckling derived in [6] and used in [7] for the solution of
some practical problems using a piecewise model are too
simplied and do not allow the buckling problem of the
sandwich shells to be analysed accurately.
Therefore, it is worthwhile to consider the derivation
of rened equations for the analysis of the buckling
problem in sandwich structures which could take into
account momentous equilibrium as well as will allow us
to study the limits of the applicability of the equations
obtained in [6].
2. Parametrization of the sandwich shell
Consider a sandwich shell that is presented in some
parametric form rr rrx
1
; x
2
rrx
i
related to the mean
surface of the ller, denoted by f (see Fig. 1). Here, the
Latin indices take values 1 and 2, whereas the Greek
ones 1, 2 and 3.
To describe geometry of the ller we use the semi-
orthogonal curvilinear coordinate system x
i
, z, which is
the normal to the mean surface f. We also use
rr
i
orr=ox
i
and mm to denote the base vectors on f and the
vector of the unit normal. In the given coordinate sys-
tem the equations of the mean surface fk of the ex-
ternal layers are expressed by the equalities rr
k

rr d
k
h h
k
mm, where d
1
d
2
1. In the subse-
quent discussion we assume that the variability of met-
rics in the direction of z-axis can be neglected, thus
identifying the base vectors rr
k
orr
k
=ox
i
on fk with
the base vectors rr
i
on f with an accuracy of
d
ij
d
k
h h
k
b
ij
d
ij
. Here and below, b
ij
rr
i
mm
rr
j
mm are covariant elements of the second metric tensor
on f; d
ij
are Kroneckers symbols.
We also assume that the end plane of the shell is a
linear surface described by the movement of the vector
z mm, where h 2h
1
6z 6h 2h
2
, along some
smooth curve C 2 f. We also denote the unit vectors of
the normal and the tangent to C by nn and ss, respectively.
Together with the vector mm, they form a right-handed
trihedron at every point on C.
3. Classication of the llers
In most cases, when studying the mechanics of an
elastic body of sandwich structures like bars, plates and
shells which are used in real applications, the external
layers can be satisfactorily analysed on the basis of the
classical KirchoLove model, where the density of the
potential energy of the deformation can be calculated as
U
k

r
k
ij
e
z
k
ij
2
k 1; 2 1
where r
k
ij
are elements of the stress tensor and e
z
k
ij
are
covariant elements of the deformation tensor at the level
z
k
from fk in the external layer. In these layers the
following estimates are valid for the shear deformations
2e
z
k
i3
and normal deformation e
z
k
33
2e
z
k
i3
$ g~ee; e
z
k
33
$ g
2
~ee 2
where ~ee is the characteristic tangential deformation, i.e.
e
z
k
ij
$ ~ee, g is some positive small number. In general it
depends on geometrical and other characteristics of the
shell, its boundary conditions, a type of external load
and can be estimated using the following inequalities
2h
k
6g 6
H
k
or
2h
k
k
6g 6
H
k
H 2h h
1
h
2

3
where k is one of the specic geometrical dimensions of
the shell (e.g. length, width or radius) or a degree of the
change in the stressstrain state in x
i
directions.
Characteristic elasticity moduli of the ller E during
the deformation in x
i
directions, E
3
in z-direction, and Fig. 1. Geometry of a laminated shell.
468 V.E. Verijenko et al. / Composite Structures 62 (2003) 467474
shear modulus G can be related with the characteristic
modulus of the external layer

EE using the following re-
lations:
E u

EE; E
3
u
3

EE; G w

EE 4
where u, u
3
and w are some parameters. As it was es-
tablished in [1], depending on the conditions satised by
the parameters g, u, u
3
and w, the ller can be classied
as one of the following types:
1. Absolutely rigid. If is some negligibly small quantity
u $ 1;
g
2
w
6;
g
4
u
3
6 5
In this case the calculation of the density of the full
potential energy is given as
U
r
ij
e
z
ij
2
6
which is equivalent to the assumption that
r
i3
% r
33
% 0. If the conditions (5) are valid, the
classical KirchoLove model can be used for the
entire shell.
2. Soft. If
u6;
g
2
w
P1;
g
4
u
3
6 7
In this case the following expression is used for the
full potential energy
U
r
i3
e
z
i3
2
8
which is equivalent to the assumption r
ij
r
33
0.
3. Transversely soft. If
u6;
g
2
w
P1;
g
4
u
3
P 9
then U is calculated as
U
2r
i3
e
z
i3
r
33
e
z
33
2
10
which is equivalent to the assumption r
ij
0.
4. Rigid. If
u $ 1;
g
2
w
P1;
g
4
u
3
6 11
then U is calculated as
U
r
ij
e
z
ij
2r
i3
e
z
i3
2
12
which is equivalent to the assumption r
33
0.
5. Transversely rigid. If
u $ 1;
g
2
w
;
g
4
u
3
P1 13
then U is calculated as
U
r
ij
e
z
ij
2r
i3
e
z
i3
r
33
e
z
33
2
14
It should be noted that due to the xed value of the
coecient g the above conditions remain valid in the
linear domain of the deformation for any magnitude of
the external load. However, under some boundary
conditions and depending on the character and type of
the subcritical stressstrain state, the process of buckling
in sandwich structures can be accompanied by the
transition of the ller from one type to another. This is
due to the change in k. For example, if the shell, sub-
jected to tangential uniformly distributed load q, has the
ller with parameters u $ , u
3
$ and w $ , and, also
depending on the boundary conditions at the end
planes, it can reach an instantaneous stressstrain state
with the parameter g $
1=2
. As the study shows, under
these conditions a local buckling takes place in the ex-
ternal layers when q reaches its critical value q
cr
. Thus,
when considering the given problem, the subcritical
stressstrain state can be analysed within the framework
of the soft ller, whereas the stability of the instanta-
neous stress state requires the use of a transversely soft
model of the ller.
4. Classication of stress states in the ller
As a rule, in the sandwich elements that nd the most
use in the real structures, the elastic parameters u, u
3
and w are commensurably small numbers. In view of
these conditions and with acceptable accuracy, the fol-
lowing assumptions can be used
r
11
% r
12
% r
22
% 0 15
This allows us to write the equations of equilibrium of
the three-dimensional theory of elasticity for the ller
without taking into account the mass forces, in the fol-
lowing form
or
i3
oz
b
ij
r
j3
;
or
33
oz
r
i
r
i3
0 16
Here a symbol r
i
denotes covariant dierentiation on
the metrics a
ij
rr
i
rr
j
. Assuming that
o
oz
$
1
H
; r
i
$
o
ox
i
$
1
k
17
it follows from the equilibrium equations (16) that
r
i3
Hb
ij
r
j3
$ 0. Since for the considered type of shells
d
ij
Hb
ij
% d
ij
, a simplied form or
33
=oz 0 is allowed
and, consequently, for the given model of the ller, we
have r
i3
r
i3
x
1
; x
2
q
i
x
1
; x
2
. Then the third equa-
tion of equilibrium takes the following form
or
33
oz
r
i
q
i
0 18
V.E. Verijenko et al. / Composite Structures 62 (2003) 467474 469
Using the above assumptions we obtain
r
33

q
i
H
k
$ 0 19
Since the normal and shear stresses in the ller are as-
ymptotically proportional, the two main types of stress
strain state can be considered depending on the value of
k. First type A is a case when the shear stresses do not
change much along the coordinate axes x
i
. It takes place
in the case of general stability when the entire shell or its
external layers buckle producing long bulges with k $ L
(L is a characteristic dimension of the shell). The shell is
subjected to continuous loading conditions with low
frequency vibration forms. A geometrical estimate here is
H
k
$ (1 20
Using (20) in the second equation of equilibrium (16),
the second part can be neglected and, therefore,
or
33
=oz 0
r
33
r
33
x
1
; x
2
q
3
x
1
; x
2
21
It is noted that if the inequality (20) takes place, then
further simplication of the problem is possible and it
follows from (19) that
r
33
% 0 22
Thus, within the context of the assumption (22) and also
taking into account assumption (15) we arrive at a model
of the soft ller, and if (15) is considered together with
(21) we obtain a model with the transversely soft ller.
Type B is a case when the degree of change of the shear
stresses is relatively high along the axes x
i
. In such a case
local forms of buckling take place, which result in short
bulges with the lengths k $ H. High frequency vibration
forms and localised loads are usual for this type of
buckling problem. The estimate of k here is given as
H
k
$ 1 23
In this case the equilibrium equations remain unchanged
and the simplications (21) and (22) cannot be used.
5. Displacements and deformations of the external layers
If the classical hypotheses of KirchoLove are used
for the analysis of deformations of the external layers,
then in the case of small and medium bending of the
shell the displacement vectors in the external layers can
be determined using the following expressions
uu
z
k
uu
k
z
k
xx
k
u
k
i
rr
i
w
k
mm z
k
x
k
i
rr
i
x
k
i
r
i
w
k
b
ij
u
k
j
h
k
6z
k
6h
k

24
where uu
k
is the displacement vector on the surface fk
(u
k
i
are tangential displacements, w
k
are normal dis-
placements), xx
k
are vectors of the rotation of the bres,
normal to fk.
Within the context of (24), the elements of the tensor
of tangential deformations can be determined as follows
e
z
k
ij
e
k
ij
z
k
j
k
ij
25
Here e
k
ij
and j
k
ij
are covariant elements of the tensor of
tangential deformations and curvatures of the surfaces
fk and can be calculated as follows
2e
k
ij
e
k
ij
e
k
ji
x
k
i
x
k
j
;
e
k
ij
r
i
u
k
j
b
ij
w
k
2j
k
ij
r
i
x
k
j
r
j
x
k
i
26
6. Governing equations for shells with transversely soft
ller
6.1. Displacements in the ller
By integrating the Eq. (18) with respect to z between
the limits h and z we obtain
r
33
q
1
3
z hr
i
q
i
; q
2
3
q
1
3
2hr
i
q
i
27
where q
k
3
r
33
j
zd
k
h
are normal stresses on the sur-
faces z d
k
h. With an accuracy given by the ap-
proximate expressions r
ij
% 0, d
ij
zb
ij
% d
ij
and using
the rst expression from (27) the constitutive equation
for r
33
will take the following form
r
33
E
3
ou
3
oz
_
a
3
T
_
q
1
3
z hr
i
q
i
28
The above equation is valid for both small and medium
bending of the shell, and u
3
um, uu u
i
rr
i
u
3
mm is the
displacement vector; E
3
, a
3
are the elasticity modulus and
the coecient of thermal expansion in z-direction, re-
spectively; T is the temperature increment. Integrating
Eq. (28) over z and satisfying the kinematic conditions of
perfect bonding between the external layers and the core
layer over the displacements u
3
j
zh
w
1
, u
3
j
zh
w
2
with the help of (27) the following relations can be derived
q
k
3
C
3
w
2
w
1
d
k
hr
i
q
i
C
3
b
3
;
_
h
h
a
3
T dz
e
z
33

w
2
w
1
2h

z
E
3
r
i
q
i

b
3
2h
a
3
T; C
3

E
3
2h
29
u
3

w
1
w
2
2

z
2h
w
2
w
1

z
2
h
2
3E
3
r
i
q
i

z h
2h
b
3
k
3
k
3

_
z
h
a
3
T dz k
3
x
i
; z
30
470 V.E. Verijenko et al. / Composite Structures 62 (2003) 467474
where e
z
33
is the deformation due to the normal com-
pression in the ller.
In order to determine the law of change of the tan-
gential components of the displacements we will use the
constitutive equations for the stresses r
i3
in the ller.
Assuming that the elastic properties are symmetrical to
some surface z const these equations can be rewritten
in the following simplied form, which remains valid for
both small and medium bending
r
i3
q
i
2A
ij
e
z
j3
A
ij
ou
j
oz
_
r
j
u
3
_
31
Here A
ij
is the bivalent tensor of shear elastic constants.
Substituting the expression for u
3
from (30) into the
equality (31) we arrive at the following dierential
equation
ou
i
oz
d
ij
q
j

x
1
i
x
2
i
2

z
2h
x
2
i
x
1
i

z
2
h
2
2E
3
r
i
r
j
q
j

z h
2h
r
i
b
3
r
i
k
3
32
In the above expression a product r
i
w
k
was replaced
by x
k
i
; d
ij
denotes the bivalent compliance tensor of the
ller in the tangential direction. Integrating (32) with
respect to z between the limits 0 and z we obtain the
following formula
u
i
~uu zd
ij
q
j
z
x
1
i
x
2
i
2

z
2
4h
x
2
i
x
1
i

1
2E
3
z
3
3
_
h
2
z
_
r
i
r
j
q
j

1
2h
z
2
2
_
hz
_
r
i
b
3
r
i
K
3
K
3
x
i
; z
_
z
0
k
3
dz
33
where ~uu
i
u
i
j
z0
are tangential displacements on the
mean surface in the ller.
The above relations ensure that the layers are per-
fectly bonded and, thus, the structure works as a single
unit without delamination. This allows us to take u
k
i
,
w
k
and q
i
as sought functions and using a variational
principle to derive the equilibrium equations.
6.2. Generalised variational equation
Within the considered model of the ller we assume
that only the external load is applied. In order to de-
scribe the loading conditions we introduce vectors of
given forces and moments applied to the middle line of
the end planes
U
k
U
k
n
nn U
k
ns
ss U
k
m
mm
L
k
L
k
ns
nn L
k
n
ss
34
And also the vectors of the external surface forces and
moments
X
k
X
k
i
rr
i
X
k
3
mm; M
k
M
k
i
rr
i
35
The variation of work of these forces over correspond-
ing displacements can be written as
dA

2
k1
_
C
U
k
n
du
k
n
_
_
U
k
ns
du
k
s
U
k
m
dx
k
n
L
k
ns
dx
k
s
L
k
n
dx
k
n
_
dC
_ _
S
X
k
i
du
k
i
_
X
k
3
dw
k
M
k
i
dx
k
i
_
dS
_
36
where x
k
n
x
k
i
n
i
, x
k
s
x
k
i
, u
k
n
u
k
i
n
i
, u
k
s
u
k
i
s
i
,
n
i
nr
i
, s
i
sr
i
are contravariant components of the
vectors nn and ss with respect to the base vectors rr
i
, dC is a
part of the contour line C.
For the considered model of the shell the variation of
the potential energy of the deformation is given by
dU
_
h
h
_ _
S
2r
i3
de
z
i3
r
33
de
z
33
dS dz

2
k1
_
h
k
h
k
_ _
S
r
k
ij
de
z
k
ij
dS dz
k

2
k1
_ _
S
T
k
ij
de
k
ij
M
k
ij
dj
k
ij
dS

_ _
S
C
ij
q
j
dq
i
_
C
3
w
2
w
1
b
3
dw
2
w
1

2h
3
3E
3
r
j
q
j
r
i
dq
i
_
dS;
C
ij
2hd
ij
37
The following substitutions are used in the above
equation: 2r
i3
de
z
i3
d
ij
q
j
dq
i
, r
33
de
z
33
E
3
e
z
33
a
3
Tde
z
33
,
T
k
ij
and M
k
ij
are forces and moments in the external
layers.
Since the conditions of perfect bonding between the
external layers and the ller were not satised, the
generalised variational equation must be used:
dI dI
q
dA dU 0 38
where
dI
q

_ _
S
d u
1
i
_
u
2
i
h
1
x
1
i
h
2
x
2
i
u

i
u

i
q
i
_
dS
u

i
u
i
j
zh
; u

i
u
i
j
zh
39
The dierence u

i
u

i
used in the above equation is
determined by the integration of (32) over z between the
limits h and h.
V.E. Verijenko et al. / Composite Structures 62 (2003) 467474 471
u

i
u

i
C
ij
q
j
hx
1
i
x
2
i

2h
3
3E
3
r
i
r
j
q
j
r
i
m
3
m
3

_
h
h
a
3
Tz dz 40
Taking into account (40) and using (36), (37) and (39)
into (38) and making necessary transformations, we
obtain the nal generalised variational equation in the
following form

2
k1
L
k
ns
G
k
ns
dw
k
j
C

_

2
k1
U
k
n
_
_
T
k
n
du
k
n
U
k
ns
T
k
ns
du
k
s
U
k
m
_

dL
k
ns
dC
S
k
i
n
i

dG
k
ns
dC
_
dw
k
L
k
n
G
k
n
dx
k
n
_

2h
3
3E
3
q
n
r
j
dq
j
_
dC

_ _
S
l
i
dq
i
_

2
k1
f
k
i
du
k
i
f
k
3
dw
k

_
dS 0 41
where the following notations are used
T
k
n
T
k
ij
n
i
n
j
; T
k
ns
T
k
ij
n
i
s
j
;
G
k
n
M
k
ij
n
i
n
j
; G
k
ns
M
k
ij
n
i
s
j
; q
n
q
i
n
i
42
S
k
i
r
j
M
k
ij
T
k
ij
x
k
j


MM
k
i
;

MM
k
i
M
k
i
h
k
hq
i
43
6.3. Equilibrium equations, boundary conditions and
kinematic conditions of the bonding
A system of six dierential equations follows from the
arbitrarity of the variations du
k
i
, dw
k
and dq
i
in (41)
f
k
i
r
j
T
k
ij
S
k
j
b
ij

XX
k
i
0;

XX
k
i
X
k
i
d
k
q
i
f
k
3
r
i
S
k
i
T
k
ij
b
ij
d
k
C
3
w
2
w
1
b
3

X
k
3
0
44
where S
k
i
, calculated using formula (43), represent the
shear forces in the external within the context of the
classical KirchoLove model, and two equations
l
i
u
1
i
u
2
i
h
1
hx
1
i
h
2
hx
2
i
C
ij
q
j

2h
3
3E
3
r
i
r
j
q
j
r
i
m
3
0 45
describe the bonding conditions between the external
layers and the ller with respect to the tangential dis-
placements. The boundary conditions for the equilib-
rium equations of the external layers (44) follow from
the line integral (41) and can be written as
T
k
n
U
k
n
if du
k
n
6 0; T
k
ns
U
k
ns
if du
k
s
6 0
S
k
i
n
i

dG
k
ns
dC
U
k
m

dL
k
ns
dC
if dw
k
6 0
G
k
n
L
k
n
if dx
k
n
6 0
46
At a free corner point G
k
ns
L
k
ns
j
C
0 if dw
k
6 0.
They are in complete agreement with the boundary
conditions of the classical theory of shells [9] and do not
require further explanations. As may be seen from (41)
the boundary conditions should be formulated on the
free end planes of the ller for the equations (45)
q
n
q
i
n
i
0 47
whereas on the xed ends
r
i
q
i
0 48
6.4. Elasticity relations
For the external layers, subjected to thermal inu-
ences, within the limits of the linear-elastic deformations
and with valid KirchoLove hypotheses the following
relations of generalised Hookes law take place
r
k
ij
E
k
ijsn
e
z
k
sn
b
k
ij
T
k
49
where E
k
ijsn
is the tetravalent tensor of the elastic material
constants and b
k
ij
is the bivalent tensor of the thermal
expansions, T
k
is the thermal increment. If E
k
ijsn
is in-
dependent of z
k
, then when using (25) and (49) the
following elasticity relations can be obtain
T
k
ij
B
k
ijsn
e
k
sn
Q
k
ij
M
k
ij
D
k
ijsn
j
k
sn
H
k
ij
50
where Q
k
ij
, H
k
ij
are forces and moments from the ther-
mal deformations given by
Q
k
ij

_
h
k
h
k
b
k
ij
T
k
dz
k
H
k
ij

_
h
k
h
k
b
k
ij
T
k
z
k
dz
k
51
and
B
k
ijsn
2E
k
ijsn
h
k
; D
k
ijsn

2h
k3
E
k
ijsn
3
52
are the tensors which characterise the tension, com-
pression and bending stinesses in the external layers.
Using (38), (42), (43) and (50) the equilibrium equa-
tions (44) and the static boundary conditions from (46)
can be expressed by eight unknown functions u
k
i
, w
k
and q
i
, which form together with (45) a closed system of
governing equations of the 18th-order.
472 V.E. Verijenko et al. / Composite Structures 62 (2003) 467474
7. System of governing equations for shells with trans-
versely soft ller (case A)
7.1. Displacements in the ller
Suppose that the change in the stressstrain state of
the ller satises condition (20), then the normal stress
r
33
can be considered constant through the thickness. As
a result of all the derivations, similar to those in the
previous section, in this case for the derivation of u
3
, e
z
33
and u
i
instead of (29), (30) and (33) we arrive at the
following expressions
u
3

w
1
w
2
2

z
2h
w
2
w
1
u
T
3
53
e
z
33

w
1
w
2
2h
e
T
3
e
T
3

1
2h
_
h
h
a
3
T dz a
3
T
54
u
i
~uu
i
zd
ij
q
j

z
2
x
2
i
x
1
i

z
2
4h
x
2
i
x
1
i
r
i
K 55
where the following notations are used
u
T
3

_
z
0
a
3
T dz
1
2
_
h
0
a
3
T dz
_

_
0
h
a
3
T dz
_

z
2h
_
h
h
a
3
T dz
K
_
z
0
u
T
3
dz
Satisfying the boundary conditions with respect to the
tangential displacements in (24) and (55), four algebraic
equations can be obtained. The functions u
i
and d
ij
q
j
are
expressed by the functions u
k
i
and w
k
which are taken
as unknown functions
~uu
i

u
1
i
u
2
i
2

1
2
h
1
_

h
2
_
x
1
i

1
2
h
2
_

h
2
_
x
2
i

1
2
r
i
K

56
d
ij
q
j
2e
i3

1
2h
u
2
i
_
u
1
i
h h
1
x
1
i
h h
2
x
2
i
r
i
K

_
57
where
K

_
h
0
u
T
3
dz; K

_
h
0
u
T
3
dz
Substituting right-hand sides of (56) and (57) into (55)
we obtain
u
i

2
k1
f
k
u
k
i
v
k
x
k
r
i
h 58
where the following notations are used
f
k

1
2
1
_
d
k
z
h
_
v
k

d
k
h
k
2

d
k
h
4

h
k
2h
z
d
k
z
2
4h
h
1
2
K

z
2h
K

K
The relations (58) show that the approach used here for
the derivation of the mathematical model for the ana-
lysis of the stressstrain state in the sandwich shell with
the transversely soft ller leads to a more accurate ap-
proximation of the tangential displacements in the ller
even in the absence of the thermal inuence when
comparing to a priori formulated models of type [1,10].
However, the number of unknown two-dimensional
functions remains the same as in [1]. In the case of the
thermal loading the model takes accurately into account
both the thermal deformations in relations (54), (57) and
the thermal displacements in formulas (53), (58).
7.2. Lagranges variational equation
Since the relations (53) and (58) exactly satisfy the
kinematic conditions of the bonding between the exter-
nal layers and the ller, then dI
q
0 in (38) and it takes
the form of a variational equation of the principle of
admissible displacements
dU dA 59
in which dA is determined using formula (36) and to
obtain dU we use expressions (54) and (57)
dU

2
k1
_ _
S
T
k
ij
de
k
ij
_
M
k
ij
dj
k
ij

d
k
2h
N
3
dw
k

d
k
2h
N
i
du
k
i

h h
k
2h
N
i
dx
k
i
_
dS
60
Here, in addition to forces T
k
ij
and moments M
k
ij
in the
external layers, the shear forces N
i
and the compression
force N
3
are introduced in the ller, and taking into
account expressions (54) and (57) they can be calculated
as
N
i

_
h
h
r
i3
dz
_
h
h
q
i
dz
A
ij
u
2
j
_
u
1
j
h h
1
x
1
j
h h
2
x
2
j
r
j
K

_
61
V.E. Verijenko et al. / Composite Structures 62 (2003) 467474 473
N
3

_
h
h
r
33
dz E
3
w
2
w
1
E
3
_
h
h
a
3
T dz 62
Substituting (36) and (60) into (59) and using (24) and
(26) the following variational equation is derived

2
k1
L
k
ns
_
M
k
ns
dw
k
j
C

_
C
U
k
n
_
T
k
n
du
k
n
U
k
ns
T
k
ns
dw
k
U
k
n
_

dL
k
ns
dC
S
k
i
n
i

dG
k
ns
dC
_
dw
k
L
k
n
G
k
n
dx
k
n
_
dC

_ _
S
f
k
i
du
k
i
f
k
3
dw
k
dS
_
0 63
7.3. Equilibrium equations and boundary conditions
In view of the arbitrarity of the variations du
k
i
and
dw
k
a system of six dierential equilibrium equations
follows from (63)
f
k
i
r
j
T
k
ij
S
k
j
b
ij

d
k
2h
N
i
X
k
i
r
j
S
k
j
T
k
ij
b
ij

d
k
2h
N
3
X
k
3
0
64
where S
k
i
denote the shear forces
S
k
i
r
j
M
k
ij
T
k
ij
x
k
j

h h
k
2h
N
i
M
k
i
65
consisting of the shear forces in the external layers and
the shear forces in the ller N
i
with a normalizing co-
ecients h h
k
=2h.
The solution of the equilibrium equations, which is
expressed by the functions u
k
i
and w
k
using (24), (26),
(50), (61), (62) and (65), has the common order of 16,
and depending on the type of loading or xing of the
external layers on the contour C must have the bound-
ary conditions of the same type as (46) which follow
from the line integral of the variational equilibrium (63).
8. Conclusions
At present there exists a select group of rened the-
ories of multilayered plates and shells that deserve at-
tention [1113]. These theories have their advantages
and disadvantages. However, the large majority of them
do not allow us to correctly formulate a problem of
mixed forms of buckling of the external layers, even-
though in real structures, as a rule, this is the reason for
structural collapse. For the description of these phe-
nomena the derived equations take into account the
geometrical nonlinearity only in the quadratic approxi-
mation that permits the rotations of e
k
ij
and x
k
i
in the
external layers within the limits e
k
ij
$ and x
k
i
$
1=2
.
But these limits are sucient to determine with accept-
able accuracy the subcritical stressstrain state and the
critical loads of the structure.
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