Mechanical analysis of functionally graded spherical panel resting on elastic foundation under external pressure

The main purpose of this study is to analyze the effects of external pressure on the vibration and buckling of functionally graded (FG) spherical panels resting of elastic medium. The material characteristics of the FG sphere continuously vary through the thickness direction based on the power-law rule. In accordance with first-order shear deformation shell theory and by the use of Ritz formulation the governing equations are presented. In this regard, the beam functions are applied in two-dimensions for different sets of boundary supports. The Winkler and Pasternak models of elastic foundations are also taken into account. In order to show the validity and applicability of the presented formulation, various comparison studies are given. Furthermore, a diverse range of numerical results is reported to check the impacts of geometrical and material parameters along with external pressure on the vibration and buckling analysis of FG spherical panels.