Author
Abstract
In this research, a rectangular plate element for the finite elements
method, which takes into consideration the effect of dead loads, is proposed.
The element stiffness matrix that includes the effect of dead loads is derived. It
is shown that the stiffness of plate increases when the effect of dead loads is
included in the calculations. The validity of the proposed method is confirmed
by numerical example and the results show a good agreement when compared
with that obtained from the closed-form solutions. The proposed method
based on a finite elements formulation is more easily applied to plate’s
structures under different support conditions and various types of dead loads.
Keywords
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