A simple hyperbolic shear deformation theory for vibration analysis of thick functionally graded rectangular plates resting on elastic foundations

A simple hyperbolic shear deformation theory taking into account transverse shear deformation effects is proposed for the free flexural vibration analysis of thick functionally graded plates resting on elastic foundations. By considering further supposition, the present formulation introduces only four unknowns and its governing equations are therefore reduced. Hamilton's principle is employed to obtain equations of motion and Navier-type analytical solutions for simply-supported plates are compared with the available solutions in literature to check the accuracy of the proposed theory. Numerical results are computed to examine the effects of the power-law index and side-to-thickness ratio on the natural frequencies.