Ryszard Buczkowski

This paper is intended to give some information about how to build a model necessary for bending analysis of rectangular and circular plates resting on a two‐parameter elastic foundation, subjected to combined loading and permitting various types of boundary conditions. The formulation of the problem takes into account the shear deformation of the plate and the surrounding interaction effect outside the plate. The numerical model based on an 18‐node zero‐thickness isoparametric interface element interacting with a thick Reissner–Mindlin plate element with three degrees of freedom at each of the nine nodes, which enforce C⁰ continuity requirements for the displacements and rotations of the midsurface, is proposed. Stiffness matrices of a special interface element are superimposed on the global stiffness matrix to represent the stiffening elastic foundation under and beyond the plate. Some numerical examples are given to illustrate the advantages of the method presented. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.