ABSTRACT
The convergence and accuracy of the Dynamic Relaxation (DR) solutions for elastic
large deflection response are established by comparison with various exact and approximate
solutions. New numerical results are generated for uniformly loaded square laminated plates
which serve to quantify the effects of shear deformation, length to thickness ratio, number of
layers, material anisotropy and fiber orientation.
It was found that linear analysis seriously over predicts deflection of plates. The shear
deflection depends greatly on a number of factors such as length to thickness ratio, degree of
anisotropy and number of layers. As the degree of anisotropy increases, the plate becomes
stiffer and when it is greater than a critical value, the deflection becomes virtually
independent on the degree of anisotropy. It was also found that deflection of plates depends
on the angle of orientation of individual plies and the size of load applied.