Stability and dynamic analyses of hybrid laminates using refined higher-order zigzag theory

This article presents a comparative study on the stability and dynamic response of hybrid laminated composite plates over monolithically produced laminated composite plates. A Refined Higher-order Zigzag Theory (RHZT) is formulated and implemented using finite element method for the analysis of hybrid laminates. This formulation considers both the interlaminar shear stress continuity and shear-free boundary conditions at surfaces of the plates. The numerical implementation employs C0 continuous eight-noded isoparametric plate elements considering geometric nonlinearity. The element stiffness matrix is formulated to consider both the linear and nonlinear terms of the strain-displacement equations. Derivation of the consistent mass matrix for a plate element is presented following the approximation of total kinetic energy and utilising Hamilton's principle. Numerical examples are provided to demonstrate buckling and free vibration analyses (as eigenvalue problems). The results are numerically verified and validated using data from published literature. Finally, parametric studies are presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of fibre hybridisation approach on the buckling and free vibration behaviour of laminated composites.