Abstract
The current study is aimed to analyze the mechanical buckling of a three-layered microplate made from honeycomb structures sandwiched between two piezoelectric face sheets. The microplate is located on an elastic foundation that stands both normal and shearing loads. Minghui and Jiuren relations were employed to determine the effective mechanical properties of the honeycomb core. The sinusoidal shear deformation theory (SSDT) was also employed as a higher-order theory with trigonometric shear deformation function to describe the displacement components. The governing equations were derived using the virtual displacement principle and modified couple stress theory (MCST) was employed to predict the results in micro dimension. Navier's solution method was chosen to analytically extract the critical buckling loads for a simply supported edges microplate. The effect of the most important parameters such as geometrical specifications of the honeycomb core on the results was also considered and discussed. Nowadays the honeycomb structures are widely used in different areas of sciences and technologies due to their lightweight and high stiffness. Also, the piezoelectric materials are applied as sensors and actuators in smart engineering structures. Therefore, the outcomes of this study may help in designing and manufacturing more applicable structures and smart devices capable of tolerating loading conditions, especially in small dimensions.