Bending of Symmetric Sandwich FGM Beams with Shear Connectors

This paper carries out the static bending analysis of symmetric three-layer functionally graded sandwich beams, in which each layer is made from different functionally graded materials, and they are connected by shear connectors due to sliding movement. The finite element formulations are based on Timoshenko's first-order shear deformation beam theory (FSDT) and the finite element method to establish the equilibrium equation of beams. The calculation program is coded in the MATLAB environment, and then verification examples are given out to compare the numerical data of present work with those of exact open sources. The impact of several geometrical and material parameters on the mechanical response of the structure, such as the height-to-length ratio, boundary conditions, volume fraction index, and especially the shear coefficient of connectors, is being explored. When designing and using these types of structures in engineering practice, the computed results can be utilized as a valid reference. © 2021 Dung Nguyen Thai et al.