Analytical solution for bending analysis of soft-core composite sandwich plates using improved high-order theory

In the present paper, an improved high-order theory is used for bending analysis of soft-core sandwich plates. Third-order plate assumptions are used for face sheets and quadratic and cubic functions are assumed for transverse and in-plane displacements of the orthotropic soft core. Continuity conditions for transverse shear stresses at the interfaces as well as the conditions of zero transverse shear stresses on the upper and lower surfaces of the plate are satisfied. Also, transverse flexibility and transverse normal strain and stress of the orthotropic core are considered. The equations of motion and boundary conditions are derived by principle of minimum potential energy. Analytical solution for bending analysis of simply supported sandwich plates under various transverse loads are presented using Navier\'s solution. Comparison of the present results with those of the three-dimensional theory of elasticity and some plate theories in the literature confirms the accuracy of the proposed theory.