Plates on flexible supports (a theoretical investigation of the behavior of a plate on flexible beams using a numerical procedure)

Abstract

Solutions for displacements, moments and reactions in rectangular plates under transverse loading, supported at the corners, with or without supporting beams at the plate boundaries and with or without corners being free to lift, are presented in this paper. The problems are solved numerically using the method of finite-differences programed for a digital computer. Moment and reaction coefficients are evaluated at positions along the axes of symmetry and the boundaries for several values of the parameters of relative flexural rigidity and Poisson's ratio and covering three different panel side-ratios. The analyses of the plate-beam systems are based on the ordinary theories of flexure of plates and beams.