Vibration of rectangular Mindlin plates with intermediate stiffeners

A first known investigation into the vibratory characteristics of rectangular Mindlin plates with intermediate stiffeners is presented. The Rayleigh-Ritz method is used, with displacement and rotational functions assumed in the form of mathematically complete algebraic polynomials. Sets of numerical frequency parameters for rectangular plates of various boundary conditions, thicknesses and plate dimensions are presented. In the study, the effects of shear deformation and rotary inertia on the vibrational response of the plate structures are investigated. The influence of torsional rigidity and geometric properties of stiffeners on the natural frequency parameters are included. To validate the proposed formulation, numerical results for some simplified problems have been determined where existing literature for these problems can be found. Finally sets of new vibration frequencies for plates with one or more stiffeners in various directions are presented.