Study and analysis of porosity distribution effects on the buckling behavior of functionally graded plates subjected to diverse thermal loading

This paper introduces an improved shear deformation theory for analyzing the buckling behavior of functionally graded plates subjected to varying temperatures. The transverse shear strain functions employed satisfy the stress-free condition on the plate surfaces without requiring shear correction factors. The material properties and thermal expansion coefficient of the porous functionally graded plate are assumed temperature-dependent and exhibit continuous variation throughout the thickness, following a modified power-law distribution based on the volume fractions of the constituents. Moreover, the study considers the influence of porosity distribution on the buckling of the functionally graded plates. Thermal loads are assumed to have uniform, linear, and nonlinear distributions through the thickness. The obtained results, considering the effect of porosity distribution, are compared with alternative solutions available in the existing literature. Additionally, this study provides comprehensive discussions on the influence of various parameters, emphasizing the importance of accounting for the porosity distribution in the buckling analysis of functionally graded plates.