Strain Gradient Theory Based Dynamic Mindlin-Reissner and Kirchhoff Micro-Plates with Microstructural and Micro-Inertial Effects

Abstract

In this study, a dynamic Mindlin–Reissner-type plate is developed based on a simplified version of Mindlin’s form-II first-strain gradient elasticity theory. The governing equations of motion and the corresponding boundary conditions are derived using the general virtual work variational principle. The presented model contains, apart from the two classical Lame constants, one additional microstructure material parameter g for the static case and one micro-inertia parameter h for the dynamic case. The formal reduction of this model to a Kirchhoff-type plate model is also presented. Upon diminishing the microstructure parameters g and h, the classical Mindlin–Reissner and Kirchhoff plate theories are derived. Three points distinguish the present work from other similar published in the literature. First, the plane stress assumption, fundamental for the development of plate theories, is expressed by the vanishing of the z-component of the generalized true traction vector and not merely by the zz-component of the Cauchy stress tensor. Second, micro-inertia terms are included in the expression of the kinetic energy of the model. Finally, the detailed structure of classical and non-classical boundary conditions is presented for both Mindlin–Reissner and Kirchhoff micro-plates. An example of a simply supported rectangular plate is used to illustrate the proposed model and to compare it with results from the literature. The numerical results reveal the significance of the strain gradient effect on the bending and free vibration response of the micro-plate, when the plate thickness is at the micron-scale; in comparison to the classical theories for Mindlin–Reissner and Kirchhoff plates, the deflections, the rotations, and the shear-thickness frequencies are smaller, while the fundamental flexural frequency is higher. It is also observed that the micro-inertia effect should not be ignored in estimating the fundamental frequencies of micro-plates, primarily for thick plates, when plate thickness is at the micron scale (strain gradient effect).