Deflection, Stresses and Buckling Analysis of Porous FGM Plates with Kerr-Type Elastic Foundations Using a New Five-Unknown Trigonometric Shear Deformation Theory

This paper introduces a novel approach called the five-unknown trigonometric shear deformation (FTSD) theory for analyzing the flexural and buckling behavior of porous functionally graded (PFG) plates mounted on an elastic foundation. The FTSD theory features a unique trigonometric displacement field distribution that accurately captures the parabolic transverse shear stress distribution and satisfies the zero transverse shear stress conditions on the plate’s top and bottom surfaces while accounting for thickness stretching effects. The elastic foundation is modeled using a three-parameter Kerr-type model, consisting of two spring layers connected by a shear layer. The study considers both isotropic and sandwich PFG plates with various configurations of constituent layers, as well as both regular and irregular porosity types. The validity of the proposed methodology is evaluated by comparing its results with those from previously published research. Additionally, an extensive parametric analysis is conducted to explore the effects of porosity parameters and foundation parameters on the bending and buckling performance of PFG plates.