Buckling Analysis of Circular Plates with Elastically Restrained Edges and Resting on Internal Elastic Ring Support

This paper is concerned with the elastic buckling of circular plates with internal elastic ring support and elastically restrained edge against rotation and translation. The classical plate theory is used to derive the governing differential equation for circular plate with internal elastic ring support and elastically restrained edges. This work presents the existence of buckling mode switching with respect to the radius of internal elastic ring support. The buckling mode may not be axisymmetric as previously assumed. In general, the plate may buckle in an axisymmetric mode but when the radius of the ring support becomes small, the plate may buckle in an asymmetric mode. The optimum radius of the internal elastic ring support for maximum buckling load is also determined. The percentage of increase in buckling load capacity by introducing concentric elastic ring support is determined for the first time. Extensive data are tabulated so that pertinent conclusions can be arrived at on the influence of rotational and translational restraints, Poisson's ratio, and other boundary conditions on the buckling of uniform isotropic circular plates. The numerical results obtained are in good agreement with the previously published data.