Novel quasi 3D theory for mechanical responses of FG-CNTs reinforced composite nanoplates

Effect of thickness stretching on free vibration, bending and buckling behavior of carbon nanotubes reinforced composite (CNTRC) laminated nanoplates rested on new variable elastic foundation is investigated in this paper using a developed four-unknown quasi-3D higher-order shear deformation theory (HSDT). The key feature of this theoretical formulation is that, in addition to considering the thickness stretching effect, the number of unknowns of the displacement field is reduced to four, and which is more than five in the other models. Two new forms of CNTs reinforcement distribution are proposed and analyzed based on cosine functions. By considering the higher-order nonlocal strain gradient theory, microstructure and length scale influences are included. Variational method is developed to derive the governing equation and Galerkin method is employed to derive an analytical solution of governing equilibrium equations. Two-dimensional variable Winkler elastic foundation is suggested in this study for the first time. A parametric study is executed to determine the impact of the reinforcement patterns, nonlocal parameter, length scale parameter, side-t-thickness ratio and aspect ratio, elastic foundation and various boundary conditions on bending, buckling and free vibration responses of the CNTRC plate.