Free Vibration Analysis for Disconnected Thin Rectangular Plate with Four Free Edges on Nonlinear Elastic Foundation

In this paper, the free vibration analysis of thin rectangular plate with dowels on nonlinear elastic foundation is investigated. The load transfer on dowels is modeled as vertical springs, whose stiffness depends on the dowel properties and the dowel-plate interaction. Based on Hamilton variation principle, the nonlinear governing equations of thin rectangular plate with discontinuities on nonlinear elastic foundation are established, and the suitable expressions of trial functions satisfying all boundary conditions are proposed. Then, the equations are solved by using Galerkin method and harmonic balance method. The numerical simulation reveals the effects of the dowel parameters and the other ones of the system on free vibration behaves of the disconnected thin rectangular plate.