Thermal analysis of laminated composite and sandwich plate using layer wise finite element

In this paper the quasi static response of laminated composite and sandwich plates subjected to lineary varaying through the thickness and sinusoidall distributed in plane temperature field, is analyzed. Mathematical model, based on layer-wise displacement field of Reddy [15], is formulated using small deflection linear-elasticity theory. The principle of virtual displacements (PVD) is used to obtain the weak form of the mathematical model. The weak form is discretized utilizing isoparametric finite element approximation. The originally coded MATLAB program is used to investigate the influence of plate thickness on thermo-elastic response of laminate composite and sandwich plates.