A family of higher-order single layer plate models meeting Cz0-requirements for arbitrary laminates

Abstract In the framework of displacement-based equivalent single layer (ESL) plate theories for laminates, this paper presents a generic and automatic method to extend a basis higher-order shear deformation theory (polynomial, trigonometric, hyperbolic…) to a multilayer C z 0 higher-order shear deformation theory. The key idea is to enhance the description of the cross-sectional warping: the odd high-order C z 1 function of the basis model is replaced by one odd and one even high-order function and including the characteristic zig-zag behaviour by means of piecewise linear functions. In order to account for arbitrary lamination schemes, four such piecewise continuous functions are consider…