Free Vibration Analysis of Porous Functionally Graded Material Plates with Variable Thickness on an Elastic Foundation Using the R-Functions Method

Free vibrations of porous functionally graded material (FGM) plates with complex shapes are analyzed by using the R-functions method. The thickness of the plate is variable in the direction of one of the axes. Two types of porosity distributions through the thickness are considered: uniform (even) and non-uniform (uneven). The elastic foundation is defined by two parameters (Winkler and Pasternak). To obtain the mathematical model of the problem, the first-order shear deformation theory of the plate (FSDT) is used. The effective material properties in the thickness direction are modeled by means of a power law. Variational Ritz’s method joined with the R-functions theory is used for obtaining a semi-analytical solution of the problem. The approach is applied to a number of case studies and validated by means of comparative analyses carried out on rectangular plates with a traditional finite element approach. The proof of the efficiency of the approach and its capability to handle actual engineering problems is fulfilled for FGM plates having complex shapes and various boundary conditions. The effect of different parameters, such as porosity distribution, volume fraction index, elastic foundation, FGM types, and boundary conditions, on the vibrations is studied.