Buckling analysis of isotropic and laminated plates by radial basis functions according to a higher-order shear deformation theory

The third-order shear deformation theory of Reddy and collocation with radial basis functions is used to predict the buckling loads of elastic plates. The theory accounts for parabolic distribution of the transverse strains through the thickness of the plate. It is shown that the collocation method with radial basis functions produces highly accurate critical buckling loads and modes.