On symmetries of response of laminated anisotropic clamped plates

Using the finite element method, shear-deformable plate theory is employed to simulate the dynamic response of anisotropic fibre-reinforce clamped square plates of various configurations. The computational model is employed to study the symmetries of their response to a simulated central impulsive point load lasting for four micro-seconds. The transverse deformation of the plates are visualized using 3-D plots of the displacements at the nodal point. Deformation surfaces of plates of various lamination schemes are plotted to demonstrate how the deformations are aligned along the direction of the fibre reinforcement in some lamination schemes, and how the anisotropy of the laminae are cancelled out in some particular lamination schemes to produce deformation surfaces symmetrically distributed in space, indicating isotropic response of this laminate similar to an isotropic plate. (author)