Thermal postbuckling analysis of fiber–metal laminated plates including interfacial damage

Considering the effects of interfacial damage, geometric nonlinearity and transverse shear deformation, thermal postbuckling of fiber–metal laminated plates including interfacial damage is analyzed in detail. Firstly, the Heaviside step function and higher order shear deformation functions are introduced into displacement field so that the damage degree can be characterized. Then, the shape functions can be determined by using the stress continuity conditions between interfaces and the stress boundaries on surfaces. By using the generalized variational principle, the thermal postbuckling equilibrium equations of fiber–metal laminated plates including interfacial damage are established. Finally, the thermal postbuckling problem is solved by adopting finite difference method and iteration method. In numerical examples, the effects of interfacial damage, width-to-thickness ratio and thermal load on the thermal postbuckling of fiber–metal laminated plates including interfacial damage are investigated.