Buckling Analysis of Functionally Graded Materials of Thin Rectangular Plates Applying the Modified Differential Quadrature Method

This study investigates the buckling behavior of thin rectangular plates composed of Functionally Graded Materials (FGMs) using the Modified Differential Quadrature Method (MDQM). Through the application of this method, the governing differential equations are transformed into a system of linear algebraic equations suitable for buckling analysis. After defining the relevant parameters, the problem formulation enables the computation of buckling coefficients. The buckling response of the plates under compressive loading is examined for various boundary conditions, and the influence of fixed boundary effects on the resulting buckling coefficients is analyzed. The results obtained using the MDQM are compared with corresponding analytical solutions and finite element analysis outcomes. The comparisons demonstrate that the proposed approach effectively predicts the buckling loads of rectangular plates under different boundary conditions. It is also observed that the accuracy of the results is highly sensitive to the number of grid points employed; insufficient grid density leads to non-convergent solutions, indicating that careful discretization is essential for reliable application of the MDQM. Furthermore, the buckling coefficient is shown to vary significantly with boundary conditions. Overall, the close agreement between MDQM results and finite element data confirms the suitability of the method for analyzing the buckling behavior of non-uniform plates.