A geometrically nonlinear theory of elastic plates

A set of kinematic and intrinsic equilibrium equations is derived for plates undergoing large deflection and rotation but with small strain. The large rotation is treated by the general finite rotation of a frame in which the material points that are originally along a normal line in the undeformed plate undergo only small displacements. Exact intrinsic virtual strain-displacement relations are derived; using a reduced 2-D strain energy function from which the warping has been systematically eliminated, a set of intrinsic equilibrium equations follows. It is demonstrated that only five equilibrium equations can be derived in this way, because the component of virtual rotation about the normal is not independent. These equations include terms which cannot be obtained without the use of a finite rotation vector which contains three nonzero components. These extra terms correspond to the difference of in-plane shear stress resultants in other theories.