Postbuckling of FGM cylindrical panels resting on elastic foundations subjected to lateral pressure under heat conduction

A postbuckling analysis is presented for FGM cylindrical panels resting on elastic foundations subjected to lateral pressure under heat conduction. The initial deflections caused by lateral pressure and thermal bending stresses are both taken into account. Material properties of functionally graded materials (FGMs) are assumed to be temperature-dependent, and graded in the thickness direction based on Mori-Tanaka micromechanics model. The formulations are based on a higher order shear deformation theory and von Kármán strain-displacement relationships. The panel-foundation interaction and thermal effects are also included. The governing equations are first deduced to a boundary layer type that includes nonlinear prebuckling deformations and initial geometric imperfections of the panel. These equations are then solved by means of a singular perturbation technique along with a two-step perturbation approach. The effects of volume fraction index, temperature variation, foundation stiffness, as well as panel curvature ratio on the postbuckling behavior of FGM cylindrical panels are discussed in detail.