Elastic Stress Analysis of Advanced Functionally Graded Plates Impacted by Blast Loading

The foundation of the theory of functionally graded plates with all four edges simply supported, under a Friedlander explosive spherical air-blast, is developed, within the classical plate theory (CPT). The constituent materials, ceramic and metal, vary across the wall thickness according to a prescribed power law. The theory incorporates the geometrical nonlinearities, the dynamic effects, compressive/tensile edge loadings, damping effects, and the structural symmetries (symmetric and asymmetric). The static and dynamic solutions are developed leveraging the use of a stress potential coupled with the Extended-Galerkin method and the Runge-Kutta method. Validations with simpler cases existing within the literature are made. The analysis focuses on how to alleviate the unwanted effects of large elastic stresses and deformations through material selection and proper gradation of the constitutive phases. Submitted to International Journal of Solids and Structures.