Thermal postbuckling analysis of anisotropic laminated beams with different boundary conditions resting on two-parameter elastic foundations

• Thermal postbuckling analysis of anisotropic laminated composite beams is investigated.
• Composite beams with different boundary conditions are considered.
• Thermal postbuckling characteristics are illustrated, including the bending–stretching couplings.

Thermal postbuckling analysis of shear deformable anisotropic laminated composite beams with temperature-dependent material properties subjected to uniform temperature distribution through the thickness and resting on a two-parameter elastic foundation is presented. The material of each layer of the beam is assumed to be linearly elastic and fiber-reinforced. The governing equations are based on Reddy's high order shear deformation beam theory with a von Kármán-type of kinematic nonlinearity. Composite beams with clamped–clamped, clamped–hinged, and hinged–hinged boundary conditions are considered. A numerical solution for the nonlinear partial-integral differential form in terms of the transverse deflection using Galerkin's method is employed to determine the buckling temperatures and postbuckling equilibrium paths of anisotropic laminated beams with uniform temperature distribution through the thickness. The numerical illustrations on the thermal postbuckling response of laminated beams with different types of boundary conditions, ply arrangements (lay-ups), geometric and physical properties are also presented, and the results reveal that the geometric and physical properties, temperature dependent properties, boundary conditions, and elastic foundation all have a significant effect on thermal postbuckling behavior of anisotropic laminated composite beams.