Journal of Elasticity 15 (1985) 283-291

© 1985 Martinus Nijhoff Publishers, Dordrecht. Printed in The Netherlands.

The simply supported rectangular plate:

An exact, three dimensional, linear elasticity solution
MARK LEVINSON
Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Maine, Orono, ME 04469, USA

(Received May 2, 1984)

Abstract

An exact three dimensional solution for the problem of a transversely loaded, simply supported rectangular
plate of arbitrary thickness is presented within the linear theory of elastostatics. The solution, obtained in a
semi-inverse fashion, satisfies all the boundary conditions of the problem in a pointwise manner and is in the
form of a double Fourier sine series. The classical Navier solution for the problem is shown to be the limit of
the present solution as the plate thickness aspect ratio approaches zero. It is noted that the solution presented
provides a benchmark against which approximate theories of transversely loaded plates may be measured.
The new elasticity solution also provides a heuristic basis for a novel theory of thick plates of arbitrary
planform and edge support recently given by the author.

1. Introduction

R e c e n t l y the p r e s e n t writer f o r m u l a t e d a linear t h e o r y for transversely l o a d e d plates of

a r b i t r a r y thickness [1] which i n c o r p o r a t e s transverse n o r m a l stress and strain effects as
well as transverse shear effects. This p l a t e t h e o r y was suggested b y p r i o r w o r k in the
m o d e l i n g of elastic f o u n d a t i o n s [2] w h e n it was n o t e d that, with b u t slight m o d i f i c a t i o n ,
the f o u n d a t i o n m o d e l might b e c o n s i d e r e d a p l a t e model. F u r t h e r m o r e , w h e n a p p l y i n g
this novel p l a t e t h e o r y to a s i m p l e p r o b l e m o f c y l i n d e r i c a l ( p l a n e strain) b e n d i n g of a
thick p l a t e the c a l c u l a t i o n was f o u n d to converge to the linear elasticity s o l u t i o n of the
p r o b l e m given in [3] after two steps of an iterative m e t h o d of a p p r o x i m a t i o n which h a d
b e e n p r o p o s e d in [1]. This result has m o t i v a t e d the writer to e x a m i n e the p o s s i b i l i t y of
o b t a i n i n g three d i m e n s i o n a l linear elasticity solutions to s o m e p r o b l e m s of the b e n d i n g
o f transversely l o a d e d plates b y m a k i n g use of the k i n e m a t i c a s s u m p t i o n s used in
f o r m u l a t i n g the p l a t e t h e o r y given in [1] as well as the f o u n d a t i o n t h e o r y given in [2].
T h e s e a s s u m p t i o n s are that
aw( , y)
u = -g(z) ax '

OW(x, y) (1)
.v = - g ( z ) cgy '

and
w =f(z)W(x, y)

283
284 M. Levinson

where u, v, and w are the components of the displacement vector in the x, y, and z
directions respectively. We take the x and y coordinates to define a plane bounding
one surface of an elastic body which is bounded, as well, by the plane z = h. W(x, y) is
the surface into which the plane z = 0 is deformed when the elastic body is subjected to
external loads while f(z) and g(z), called "shape functions" in [1] and [2], are
functions which describe (a) the variation of the transverse displacement and (b) the
variation of the slopes of transverse line elements through the thickness of the elastic
layer of thickness h.
In reference [1] the assumptions (1) were used, together with the principle of
stationary potential energy, to obtain an approximate theory, i.e boundary value
problem, suitable for the study of elastic plates of arbitrary planform, thickness, and
edge conditions. Here, however, our approach will be to determine under what
conditions assumptions (1) will provide solutions to the Navier equations of linear
elasticity. It will be shown subsequently that such three dimensional elasticity solutions
can be found for rectangular plates which may be considered to be simply supported on
all four edges and loaded transversely in an arbitrary fashion. In fact, our results may
be considered to be a generalization of the Navier solution for simply supported
rectangular plates in classical plate theory [4] or, perhaps more logically, the Navier
solution is an approximation to the elasticity solution presented in this paper.

Ii. Analysis

It is well known, c.f., e.g., [3], that for linear elasticity a problem may be reduced to
the vector differential equation of Navier together with appropriate boundary and
initial conditions. When body forces are absent and the problem is one of elastostatics
this equation is
#V Ell + (X + ~ , ) V ( V . ,,) = 0.
Here 2, and tt are the I~am6; elastic constants and u is the displacement vector whose
components u, v, and w were defined previously. V is the gradierit operator usually
called "del".
Substitution of the assumed displacement field (1) into the vector differential
equation (2) leads to the following scalar equations in the x, y, and z directions
respectively.
( dEg df)OW+(x+2#)(O3W+ 03W )
#--~z2 - ( X + #)--~z ~ Ox a OxOy 2 g O,

tt-~z~ ~y Ox2 Oy + -~y3 j g = O' (3)

and

+ =0.
t Ox 2 Oy ]
Equations (3) are, in general, a formidable set of coupled, nonlinear differential
equations. It would appear that the assumed displacement field, equations (1), has not
The supported rectangular plate 285

helped us to obtain solutions of the Navier equations for the elastic layer being
considered. Observe, however, that if
W ( x , y ) = W.,,, sin rn~rx sin"__n~ry (4)
a b '
with W.,., m, n, a, and b being constants, equations (3) reduce to a pair of coupled,
linear ordinary differential equations for f ( z ) and g(z). These equations are, with the
notation

d2g - (~ + ~) d ~ -- (~k + 2bt)(M~r)2g = 0

# dz----~

and (6)
d:f~ + (h + # ) ( M ~ r ) 2 - ~ - #(M~r)2f = 0.
(X + 2#) dz-----

If m and n are taken to be integers, the analysis would appear to be leading us to

the study of rectangular layers or plates occupying the region 0 ~< x ~<a, 0 ~<y ~< b, and
0 ~< z ~< h with the transverse displacement component w vanishing on the edges x = 0,
a and y = 0, b or, alternatively, to the study of layers or plates of infinite extent, We
choose to think in terms of the former case where W, as given by equation (4), may be
considered as a generic term in the double Fourier expansion of the sufficiently smooth,
but otherwise arbitrary surface deformation of the rectangular layer or plate.
For the moment, we turn our attention to the study of equations (6). If, as must be
the case, f ( z ) and g(z) are taken to be proportional to exp(flz) where fl is a constant,
it is found that the characteristic equation of the system of differential equations (6) is
f14 _ 2(M~r)2f12 + (M~r) a = 0. (7)
This surprisingly simple equation has repeated roots
f l = _+M~-. (8)
The functions f ( z ) and g ( z ) are, therefore,
f ( z ) = K 1 cosh M~rz + K 2 sinh M~rz + K3Mqrz cosh M,rz + K4Mcrz sinh M~tz
and
g( z) = L 1 cosh M~rz + L 2 sinh Mqrz + L3Mqrz cosh Mvtz + L4Mvtz sinh Mvtz.
(9)
The arbitrary constants of integration K i and Lj are not independent, however, since
the system of equations (6) requires only four constants of integration in its solution.
Upon substitution of equations (9) into either of equations (6) it will be found that

L, M~rl [ K 2 + ( I + 2 A E ) K 3 ]
1
L2 M~r[K,+(I+2A2)K4], (10)
K4 K3
L3 M,t' andL a=-M--~
286 M. Levinson

where

A2 = (h +# g) " (11)

The number of unknowns in the problem totals five, i.e. the four K i and W.,., since
we wish to consider W.,~ to be due to a known surface traction(s) rather than to be a
prescribed surface displacement. Note that one of the five conditions required to solve
the problem is inherent in the definition of W(x, y), i.e. since W(x, y) = w(x, y, O) =
f(O)W(x, y) we have
f(O) = 1. (12)
It is necessary, in order to obtain the remaining four conditions required to solve the
problem, that we have expressions for the stress components in terms of the displace-
ment field given by equations (1) and (4). In index notation the generalized Hooke's
law is
Ou, ( Oui Ouj
~"J= hSiJ-~xk + # x -~xJ +--~xi ) (13)

where the summation convention is implied. The z,j are the stress components, 8~j is
the Kronecker delta, and i, j = 1, 2, 3. The stress components are, then,

"rxx = W,.,,,
[( m2qr2~_
)~M2~r2+2#---~)g+X
d~]
sin
m~rx
sin--
n~ry
a b '

, % = Win. )~M2~r:+2#---~-)g+X sm sin

a b '

-
[
"r..= Wren ) ~ M 2 ~ 2 g + ( X + 2 / x sin rn~rx s i n -° -"
a b '

"rxy = - 21~W,~ rnn~r2 m~rx m~ry (14)

ab gcos a c o s - - b '

~y~= #W"nn~r[f-dg]'---b-[-~z] sin m~rx

a
cos--n~ry
b '

and
%x = #W,,,.--~- f - dg
) c o s ~m~rx sin
a
, n~ry
b
Before determining K1, K2, K3, K 4 and Wm~ from the boundary conditions on the
faces z = 0 and z = h of the layer of plate we note what boundary conditions have been
satisfied on the "edges" of the elastic body, i.e. x = 0, x = a, y = 0, and y = b. These
are, on the edges x = 0 and x = a,
w(O, y, z ) = w(a, y, z ) = O,
~xx(0, y, z ) = 1"xx(a, y, z ) = 0, (15)
and
~(o, y, ~)= ~(a, y, z ) = o,
The supported rectangularplate 287

while, on the edges y = 0 and y = b, we have

w(x, O, z) = w(x, b, z) = O,
O, b, z)=O, (16)

and
u(x, 0, -- u(x, b, = 0.
These boundary conditions may be interpreted as corresponding to what are called
simple supports in plate theories. For some discussion of this matter with respect to
thick plate theories see reference [5]. We observe, consequently, that assumptions (1)
and (4) have led us to consider a "simply supported" rectangular, elastic layer or plate
of arbitrary thickness. By considering only traction boundary conditions on the faces of
the body we limit our further study in this paper to plates without geometric
constraints on the faces; this is the most common type of plate problem.
N o w we note a restriction which is to be imposed on the traction boundary
conditions at z = 0 and z - h. Since we may impose only two conditions on each of the
plate's faces, it is necessary that
%x(x, y, O)= %y(X, y, O)= %x(x, y, h)= ~zy(X, y, h)= O, (17)

i.e.
dg dg
(18)

The remaining condition to be imposed on each face is a normal stress condition.

Without loss of generality, since the principle of superposition holds for the linear
problem being considered, we m a y study the case

~-~z(x, y, 0) = P , . n sinm~rx s i n ~
n cry
a b
and (19)
• z(x, y, h ) = 0.
The latter condition implies that

In fact, there have been two distinct appeals made to the principle of superposition.
The first such appeal is addressed to the question of how we are to deal with the case of
a plate loaded normally on both faces. The answer, of course, is to superpose the
solutions for each loading. The second appeal to the principle of superposition is the so
far unstated assumption that P(x, y), the normal load, may be expanded in a double
Fourier sine series in the same manner as W(x, y). This assumption is a weak one since
even a concentrated load has such a representation [6,7].
Equations (18) and the second of equations (19), together with the result given in
equation (12) provide us the basis for obtaining the K,. After this is done, the first of
equations (19) will provide us with W,,,, as a function of the plate's geometry and
288 M. Levinson

elastic moduli as well as the load amplitude Pro.. With little difficulty we obtain
K~ = 1,

(M2,rrEh2 - A 1 sinh 2 M~rh)

g 2 = A 1(cosh M~rh sinh Mcrh+ M~rh) '

sinh 2 M~rh
(21)
K3: Al(cosh M~rh sinh M~rh + M~rh ) '

and
1
K 4 -- Al '

where

A,= (X
( X++ ~2)# ) " (22)

The expressions for the Lj then are found to be

(M2~2h 2 + As sinh2 M~h)

L 1 -- _
M~rA1 (cosh M~rh sinh Mcrh+ Moth) '

1 (A2 1

1 (23)
L 3 - M~rA 1 '

and
sinh 2 M~rh
L 4 ~ --
McrAl(cosh M~rh sinh M~rh + M~rh ) "

N o w it only remains for us to find W,.. from the third of equations (14) and the first
of equations (19). It is found that
Pm,Al(cosh M~rh sinh M~rh + M~rh ) (24)
Win" = 2M~r#(sinh 2 M~rh - M2~r2h 2)

The negative sign merely indicates that a pressure on the face z = 0 will lead to a
positive displacement w(x, y, 0).
It now will be shown that as h - ~ 0 our solution approaches the classical Navier
solution for the simply supported, rectangular plate. By expanding all functions of
M~rh appearing in the right hand side of equation (24) in power series and retaining the
lowest order terms in both the numerator and denominator it is found that

lim Win. = - 3AIPm" (25)

The supported rectangular plate 289

In order to put this result into a familiar form we note that

( X + 2/~)= 2(l-v)
A~ = k ~ + ~
and (26)
E
/~- 2(1 + v)
where E and v are the engineering elastic constants known as Young's modulus and
Poisson's ratio respectively. With these changes in notation we have, finally, that

lim W , , , = - P"" (27)

M~'h-*O

where
n = Eh3 (28)
12(1 - v2)
is the classical plate bending stiffness. Equation (27) provides the value of W,,, given
by classical thin plate theory in the usual notation, cf., e.g., [8].
If the simply supported, rectangular plate is subjected to a load which may be
represented as
P(x, y)= Y', Pmn sin m~r"-'--~xsinn~ry (29)
mzl n~l a b '
then we formally may write that
W ( x , y)
A1 ~, ~ P,~n(coshM~rhsinhM~rh+M~rh) . m~rx . ncry
- 2~r# ,.-lz" n=lz" M(si----n~M~r--h-- M2----~2h--~) sm a sm--~-- (30)
where, recall, M 2 = ( m / a ) 2 + (n//b) 2. This result is subject, of course, to the require-
ment that the series representation of W(x, y) converges at the point (x, y). This
normally may be expected with the exception of the deflection under the point of
application of a concentrated load, cf. [9].
We now concern ourselves with one final point, that is the vertical reactions on the
edges of the plate. Consider, for example, the reaction on the edge x = 0 which may be
written as

R Ix-o = fir
~0 L'O
"rx~dz1d y .
J
(31)

For simplicity, and without loss of generality, only a generic term in the series
expansion will be examined so that

Rmn I x=O = IAWmn-"-a f(l) dz sin--b---dzdy, (32)

which after some algebraic manipulation is found to be

_ 2Pm~
290 M. Levinson

where, again, the negative sign is due to our sign conventions. Similar calculations on
the remaining three edges of the plate lead to the sum of the edge reaction forces being
4Pm,ab
Rm. (34)
mncr2 '
which exactly balances the resultant of the loading P,,, sin m~rx/a sin n~ry/b given by
f~fobP,,, sin m~rx/a sin mry/bd ydx.
This last result is surprising to an intuition formed by the study of plate theories.
Although it is well-known that the concentrated corner reactions of classical plate
theory are due to the simplifying assumptions of that theory, it has been presumed that
a thick plate theory should spread such vertical forces over portions of the edges near
the comers, cf., e.g., [10]. Such results would seem to be due to the fact that even thick
plate theories overly constrain the possible deformations of plate elements. The theory
of elasticity solution for the simply supported, rectangular plate presented in this paper
provides for the prevention of lift-up at the comers of the plate through the action of
the shear stresses Zxy ,'i'yx which provide the requisite twisting moments and edge
=

forces to accomplish that task. The edge forces just mentioned arise because here "l'xy is
not antisymmetric about the plate midsurface, z - - h / 2 , as it is in the usual plate
theories. The celebrated mechanical explanation by Kelvin and Tait [11] of the
Kirchhoff boundary and corner conditions of classical plate theory [12], at least for the
simply supported, rectangular plate, now may be seen as a metaphor for what the
theory of elasticity requires rather than as a description of an approximation to the
actual phenomena.

Iii. Discussion

We have presented a double Fourier sine series solution, within the three dimensional,
linear theory of elasticity, for the problem of an arbitrarily loaded, rectangular plate of
arbitrary thickness which is simply supported on all edges and transversely loaded. This
solution, for which the classical Navier solution of the problem is a limiting case,
satisfies all boundary conditions in a pointwise rather than in an integrated manner.
The boundary conditions satisfied on the edges are that (a) the transverse component of
the displacement vector, (b) the normal component of the stress vector, and (c) the
tangential component of the displacement vector, all vanish at every point. The last of
the conditions means that the "twisting moment" vector does not vanish on the edges;
the same is true in the classical theory of plates. In various thick plate theories the
"twisting moment" sometimes is specified rather than condition (c) above. In fact, for a
real simply supported plate the truth probably lies somewhere between these two
possibilities. In any event, the present solution, aside from its intrinsic interest, provides
a benchmark against which various thick plate theories may be compared since
boundary conditions (a), (b), and (c) are admissible within such theories. We shall not
repeat here the discussion of the edge reactions given at the end of the preceding
section. The reader is also reminded that since the solution given in this paper is valid
for a plate loaded on one face only, it is necessary to superpose appropriate solutions if
both faces of the plate are loaded.
The present solution also is of interest because it provides a strong, heuristic basis
for a plate theory recently introduced in reference [1]. In that theory assumptions (1)
The supported rectangularplate 291

were made for a thick plate of arbitrary planform and edge support and the principle of
stationary potential energy was used to derive the appropriate boundary value problem.
Finally, we note that it is possible to apply assumptions (1) to the problem of the
free vibrations of a simply supported, rectangular plate. The results of such an
investigation will be reported on in a subsequent paper.

References

[1] M. Levinson, A Novel Approach to Thick Plate Theory Suggested by Studies in Foundation Theory, Int.
J. Mech. Sci., 26 (1984) 427-436.
[2] M. Levinson, Generalized Vlasov-Jones Foundation Model: A Foundation of Grade 4, Int. J. Mech.
Sci., 25, 149-154, 1983.
[3] R.W. Little, Elasticity, Prentice-HaU, Enc., Englewood Cliffs (1973).
[4] C.L. Navier, 1820 paper presented to the French Academy as cited on p. 108 of reference [8] below.
[5] M. Levinson and D.W. Cooke, Thick Rectangular Plates - I. The Generalized Navier Solution, Int. J.
Mech. Sci., 25, 199-205, 1983.
[6] M.J. LighthiU, Introduction to Fourier Analysis and Generalized Functions, Cambridge University Press,
London (1958).
[7] W. Kecs and P.P. Theodorescu, Applications of the Theory of Distributions in Mechanics, Abascus Press,
Turnbridge Wells, Kent (1974).
[8] S. Timoshenko and S. Woinowsky-Krieger, Theory of Plates and Shells, 2rid ed., Mcgraw-Hill Book Co.,
new York (1959).
[9] E. Reissner, Small Bending and Stretching of Sandwich-type Shells, NACA Report 975 (1949).
[10] A. Kromm, Verallgeneinerte Theorie der Plattenstatik, Ing.-Arch., 21,266, 1953.
[11] Lord Kelvin and P.G. Tait, Treatise on Natural Philosophy, Vol 1, Part 2, Cambridge University press,
Cambridge (1883).
[12] G. Kirchhoff, Uber das Gleichgewicht und die Bewegung einer elastischen Scheibe, J. far reine und
angewandte Math. (Crelle's J.), 40, 51, 1850.