Three-dimensional elasticity solution of simple-supported rectangular plate on point supports, line supports and elastic foundation

This paper studies the bending of simple-supported rectangular plate on point supports, line supports and elastic foundation. On the basis of three-dimensional elasticity theory, the exact expressions of the displacement functions, which satisfy the governing differential equations and the simply supported boundary conditions at four edges of the plate, are analytically derived. The reaction forces of the in- termediate supports are regarded as the unknown external forces acting on the lower surface of the plate. The unknown coefficients are then determined by the boundary conditions on the upper and lower surfaces of the plate. Comparing the numerical results obtained from the proposed method to those obtained from Kirchhoff plate theory, Mindlin plate theory and those obtained from the commer- cial finite element software ANSYS, the high accuracy of the present method has been demonstrated.