Large deflections of rectangular plates with transverse edges remaining straight

This note relates to the analysis of thin, elastic, rectangular plates. Eac h plate has symmetry about the transverse centre line, but the transverse f orm of displacement can take any form, depending on the degree of support ( if any) along each longitudinal edge, and on the manner of loading. The lat eral displacement is expressed as a series, each term of which involves the product of a sinusoidal term in the longitudinal direction (x), and a gene ral term in the transverse direction (y). The von Karman/Marguerre compatib ility equation is satisfied, and it is shown that this leads to a solution in which the transverse edges remain straight in-plane, but can rotate. Thi s result is useful in the analysis of plates forming, for example, outstand s, wide columns and deep beams. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights r eserved.