Stress, vibration and buckling analyses of FGM plates-A state-of-the-art review

This paper presents a comprehensive review of the various methods employed to study the static, dynamic and stability behavior of Functionally Graded Material (FGM) plates. Both analytical and numerical methods are considered. The review is carried out with an emphasis to present stress, vibration and buckling characteristics of FGM plates predicted using different theories proposed by several researchers without considering the detailed mathematical implication of various methodologies. The effect of variation of material properties through the thickness, type of load case, boundary conditions, edge ratio, side-to-thickness ratio and the effect of nonlinearity on the behavior of FGM plates are discussed. The main objective of this paper is to serve the interests of researchers and engineers already involved in the analysis and design of FGM structures.