Stresses and Deflections in an Elastically Restrained Circular Plate Under Uniform Normal Loading Over a Segment

Within the limits of the small-deflection plate theory and using complex variable methods, an exact expression is developed in series form for the solution of the problem of a thin circular plate elastically restrained along the boundary and subjected to uniform normal loading over a segment of the plate. The elastic constraint considered includes as particular cases the rigidly clamped and simply supported boundaries. For a rigidly clamped boundary the results are expressed in finite terms. Some details of calculations of deflections, moments, and shears based on the theory are provided in tables and curves. Timoshenko’s notation [1] is used in the paper. Other symbols will be defined as they appear in the text.