Buckling Simulation of a Plate Embedded in a Unilaterally Supported Environment.

Buckling of a von Karman plate unilaterally connected with an elastic, Winkler-type, tensionless foundation on both sides is considered in this article. The plate is simply supported and subjected to compressive and tensile loads along its edges. A variational principle is formulated for the mechanical model. The variational problem is numerically solved by means of the spectral method and computational algorithm. The algorithm is based on Newton's scheme and a numerical continuation procedure which considers the contact conditions. The bifurcation phenomenon has been analyzed for different values of compressive and tensile loading parameters. The proposed algorithm is demonstrated with the help of numerical results. Finally, an application of the unilateral plate-bending model to layered tissues in biomechanics is considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]