Bending analysis of laminated composite thin plates under the effects of the transverse loading

In this study, the static analysis of laminated plates under vertical loads, is studied. In the analysis, the behaviour of the plate in the cases of symmetric and antisymetric lamination, is investigated. The material of the plate is considered to be isotropic and orthotropic. For symmetric lamination cases, plate bending stiffnesses, behaviour of the plate with different lamination angles and different plate arrangements are investigated while for antisymmetric lamination cases, the plate behaviour is investigated according to the lamination angles, different elasticity moduli ratios and different aspect ratios of the plate. In the analysis the differential equations which are optained employing thin plate assumptions, are solved by the help of the method of separation of variables. Preparing a computer program fort he solution by the help of a computer algebra system called MATHEMATICA, the results are compared with the results which are obtained using the commericial computer program ANSYS which carries out solutions based on the finite element method.