On static and free vibration analysis of FGM plates using an efficient quadrilateral finite element based on DSPM

Abstract In the present paper, a shear-locking free quadrilateral element with 5 DOFs per node, called Q4γs, is developed using a discrete shear projection method (DSPM). Independent transverse shear strains are formulated using a tangential coordinate system, and discrete shear strains are applied along each of element sides to get the constant shear strains. These constant independent transverse shear strains are projected onto each corner node, and the cartesian shear strain components are interpolated over the element domain with standard bilinear shape functions. The applications of the element in static and free vibration analysis of functionally graded material plates show good convergence behavior, high reliability, and accuracy.