The present dissertation deals with linear and nonlinear free vibration, thermal buckling and postbuckling analysis of thin laminated composite plates resting on point supports. The element-free Galerkin (EFG) method is employed to discretize the equilibrium equations and essential boundary conditions are satisfied through using the Lagrange multiplier method. The first part of the numerical results is devoted to linear and nonlinear free vibration analysis of plates. In nonlinear free vibration analysis, amplitudes of the order of plate thickness are considered. The equilibrium equation in the frequency domain is obtained by assuming a periodic vibration and applying weighted residual method. The resulting nonlinear eigenvalue equation is solved by direct iteration method. The effects of stacking sequence, skew angle, aspect ratio and number of point supports on the first frequency are investigated for two point support patterns. The second part of the numerical results includes buckling and postbuckling analysis of point supported plates subjected to uniform temperature rise. The analysis is conducted for two cases of unilateral and bilateral buckling and also two point support patterns. In the unilateral buckling analysis, the plat is in contact with a rigid tensionless foundation in such a way that lateral deflection is forced to be only in one direction. The mechanical and thermal properties of the composite plate are assumed to be temperature dependent. In the buckling analysis critical temperature, and in the postbuckling analysis hardening behavior of the plate are reported. Effects of different parameters such as stacking sequence, skew angle, aspect ratio and number of point supports are investigated. Keywords: laminated composite skew plate, Large amplitude free vibration, Element-free Galerkin method, Thermal buckling and postbuckling analysis.
