Postbuckling Analysis of Shear-Deformable Composite Laminated Plates on Two-Parameter Elastic Foundations

Postbuckling analysis is presented for a simply supported, shear-deformable, composite laminated plate subjected to uniaxial compression and resting on a two-parameter (Pasternak-type) elastic foundation. The initial geometric imperfection of the plate is taken into account. Two cases of in-plane boundary conditions are considered. The formulations are based on Reddy’s higher-order shear-deformation plate theory, including plate–foundation interaction. The analysis uses a deflection-type perturbation technique to determine buckling loads and postbuckling equilibrium paths. Numerical examples are presented that relate to the performance of perfect and imperfect, antisymmetric angle-ply and symmetric cross-ply laminated plates resting on Pasternak-type elastic foundations from which results for Winkler elastic foundations are obtained as a limiting case. The effects played by foundation stiffness, transverse shear deformation, the character of the in-plane boundary conditions, plate aspect ratio, total number of plies, fiber orientation, and initial geometric imperfections are studied.