ABSTRACT
Plates may be classified into three groups: thin plates with small deflections, thin plates with large deflections, and thick plates. According to the criterion often applied to define a thin plate (for purposes of technical calculations), the ratio of the thickness to the smaller span length should be less than 1/20. With the exception of Chapter 10, we shall consider only small deflections of thin plates, a simplification consistent with the magnitude of deformation commonly found in plate structures. For clarity, however, the deflections and thicknesses of plates will be shown greatly exaggerated on some diagrams. As noted previously, unless otherwise specified, we shall assume that plate and shell materials are homogeneous and isotropic.
