Nonlinear bending analysis of FG-CNT reinforced composite thick plates resting on Pasternak foundations using the element-free IMLS-Ritz method

With very limited literature being available on the nonlinear bending behaviors of functionally graded carbon nanotube (FG-CNT) reinforced composite thick plates, this paper fills the apparent void by providing solutions to this problem based on the first-order shear deformation theory (FSDT). The plate considered rests on elastic foundations under transversely distributed loads. The analysis is carried out using the element-free IMLS-Ritz method. The arc-length iterative algorithm and the modified Newton–Raphson method are employed to obtain the nonlinear responses of FG-CNT reinforced composite plates. Convergence and comparison studies on a few example problems are performed to validate the numerical stability and accuracy of the IMLS-Ritz method. In this study, the characteristics of nonlinear bending influenced by foundation stiffness, transverse shear deformation, CNT distribution, CNT volume fraction and boundary conditions are examined.