BUCKLING OF CIRCULAR PLATES WITH AN INTERNAL ELASTIC RING SUPPORT AND OUTER EDGE RESTRAINED AGAINST TRANSLATION

This paper deals with exact solution for elastic buckling of circular plates resting on internal elastic ring support and elastically restrained against translation at the outer edge. The classical plate theory is used in deriving the governing differential equation for a circular plate resting on internal ring support and linearly restrained at the outer edge and subjected to in-plane compressive load. From the present study it is found that there exists a buckling mode switching from axi-symmetric to asymmetric as we vary the radius of internal elastic ring support. In this case, the buckling mode is not axisymmetric as is generally expected. The plate buckles in an asymmetric mode as the radius of the internal ring support becomes smaller. The cross-over ring support radius varies from 0.1255 to 0.09371 times the plate radius, depending upon the stiffness of the translational spring support at the outer edge. Based on this data, the optimum radius of the internal ring support can be determined. Extensive data is presented in tabular form so that significant conclusions can be arrived at on the influence of translational restraints, Poisson's ratio, and boundary conditions on the buckling behavior of isotropic circular plates. The numerical results obtained from the present study are found to be in close agreement with the previously published data.