LAUSR

Abstract The buckling parameter is a non-dimensional value that typically represents the type of plate boundary condition (e.g., clamped edge, free edge) and is obtained from the critical load and geometrical data. This study investigates the variations in the buckling parameter based on plate slenderness considering the effect of shear deformation in the bending model used for buckling analyses. An alternative boundary element formulation using two integrals containing the geometrical non-linearity (GNL) effect, with one computed on the domain and the other computed on the boundary, is employed. The kernels of integrals related to the GNL effect contain the first derivatives of deflection instead of the second derivatives, and no relation is required for the derivatives of the in-plane forces. This formulation improves the numerical model for free edges or symmetry conditions corresponding to the relationship of one of the natural conditions of the buckling problem to the boundary integral containing the GNL effect. The values obtained for the buckling parameters in plates containing or not containing a hole are compared with the expected values from the literature.