• Journal of the Computational Structural Engineering Institute of Korea
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.249-257
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• 2011

In this paper, an systematic approach is presented, in which the mixed variational theorem is employed to incorporate independent transverse shear stresses into a classical higher-order shear deformation theory(HSDT). The HSDT displacement field is taken to amplify the benefits of using a classical shear deformation theory such as simple and straightforward calculation and numerical efficiency. Those independent transverse shear stresses are taken from the fifth-order polynomial-based zig-zag theory where the fourth-order transverse shear strains can be obtained. The classical displacement field and independent transverse shear stresses are systematically blended via the mixed variational theorem. Resulting strain energy expressions are named as an enhanced higher-order shear deformation theory via mixed variational theorem(EHSDTM). The EHSDTM possess the same computational advantage as the classical HSDT while allowing for improved through-the-thickness stress and displacement variations via the post-processing procedure. Displacement and stress distributions obtained herein are compared to those of the classical HSDT, three-dimensional elasticity, and available data in literature.