A FOUR-NODE RECTANGULAR ELEMENT FOR COMPOSITE SANDWICH PLATES WITH PIEZOELECTRIC ACTUATORS

Based on the theory of the Hoff type sandwich plates, the finite element formulation of sandwich plates with piezoelectric actuators is established. The constitutive relationships of fiber-reinforced composite materials and piezoelectric actuators are employed in the formulation. A four-node rectangular sandwich plate element with seven degrees of freedom at each node has been established for the first time. Numerical example indicates that the element is effective and the result has high accuracy.