Hybrid‐stress eight‐node elements for thin and thick multilayer laminated plates

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Abstract
Hybrid‐stress eight‐node isoparametric multilayer plate elements are developed for the analysis of thin to thick fibre‐reinforced composite plates. Transverse shear deformation effects are incorporated by allowing a linear through‐thickness displacement variation for in‐plane displacements in each layer, with displacement continuity enforced along interlayer surfaces. An alternative, kinematically constrained through‐thickness displacement distribution is also studied, characterized by laminate reference plane displacements and non‐normal rotations. All stress components are included and are interpolated independently within each layer; interlayer surface traction continuity and laminate upper/lower surface traction‐free conditions are satisfied exactly. Alternative forms of in‐plane stress distributions are examined and the best is shown to be based on a rationale used previously for single layer hybrid‐stress plate elements to avoid locking in the thin plate limit. Selected example problems are used to demonstrate the convergence and effects of plate thickness for each of the elements, and limited stress results serve to verify the expected optimal sampling points.

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