The present study provides a comprehensive investigation into the electromechanical response of porous Functionally Graded Material (FGM) shell structures with bonded piezoelectric layers, achieved through the implementation of an efficient solid-shell element in the ABAQUS (6.14) software. The basis for the modeled element lies in the refinement of the established First Shear Deformation Theory (FSDT), coupled with the application of the assumed natural strain (ANS) and enhanced assumed strain (EAS) methodologies. The synergy between the two approaches results in enhanced efficiency in capturing the transverse shear strain while simultaneously addressing locking problems. Subsequently, the developed solid-shell element is incorporated into the Abaqus code through the user element interface to account for the shear strains across the FGM shell thickness. The computed results have been verified against the solutions reported in existing literature. Through this approach, the impact of the power law index and the degree of porosity on the electromechanical performance of FGM structures containing integrated piezoelectric patches is explored and presented. As a result, the findings reveal that the power law index influences the FGM distribution, and the porosity reduces the overall structural rigidity, which in turn prompts larger deflections in the porous FGM shell structures.
Said et al. (Mon,) studied this question.