Thermomechanical postbuckling of imperfect moderately thick plates on two-parameter elastic foundations

A postbuckling analysis is presented for a simply supported, moderately thick rectangular plate subjected to combined axial compression and uniform temperature loading and resting on a two-parameter elastic foundation. The two cases of thermal postbuckling of initially compressed plates and of compressive postbuckling of initially heated plates are considered. The initial geometrical imperfection of the plate is taken into account. The formulations are based on the Reissner-Mindlin plate theory considering the first order shear deformation effect, and including the plate-foundation interaction and thermal effect. The analysis uses a deflection-type perturbation technique to determine the buckling loads and postbuckling equilibrium paths. Numerical examples cover the performances of perfect and imperfect, moderately thick plates resting on Winkler or Pasternak-type elastic foundations. Typical results are presented in dimensionless graphical form.