Thermal Buckling of Laminated Composite Plates With Random Geometric and Material Properties

In this paper, a C^ofinite element has been employed for deriving an eigenvalue problem using higher order shear deformation theory. The uncertain material and geometric properties are modeled as basic random variables. A mean-centered first order perturbation technique is used to find the mean and standard derivation of the buckling temperature of laminated composite plates — subjected to a uniform temperature rise — with random material and geometric properties. The effects of the modulus ratio, fiber orientation, length-to-thickness ratio, aspect ratio and various boundary conditions on the critical temperature are examined. It is found that small variations in material and geometric properties of the composite plate significantly affect the buckling temperature of the laminated composite plate. The results have been validated with independent Monte Carlo simulation and those available in the literature.