Bending and Buckling Analysis of Porous 2D Functionally Graded Beams with Exponential Material Property Variation

The bending and buckling analysis of porous two-directional (2D) functionally graded (FG) beams was conducted using a higher-order shear deformation theory. The introduction of exponential functions to depict changes in material properties is a novel approach in the static analysis of 2D FG beams. Three distinct porosity distribution functions were taken into account. The governing equations were formulated through the application of Lagrange’s principle. During the numerical analysis, a finite element comprising two nodes and eight degrees of freedom was utilized. This choice facilitated accurate and efficient solutions, even for shorter beams, without the need for a shear correction factor. Notably, the obtained shear stresses aligned with actual values, registering as zero at both the top and bottom of the beam. The obtained results of the study were validated against findings reported in the literature. A parametric study was carried out to investigate the effects of porosity, porosity distributions, gradation parameters, slenderness, and boundary conditions on the non-dimensional deflections, stresses, critical buckling loads, and buckling mode shapes. It was found that both porosity and the distribution of porosity have noticeable effects on the static analysis of the beams.