The problem of minimum weight design of laminated circular sandwich plates with axial symmetry is formulated using optimal control theory. A steepest descent algorithm is used to solve the resulting two point boundary value problem. Inequality constraints on minimum face and core thicknesses, maximum stress levels and maximum displacement are included. Both statically determinate and statically indeterminate plates are considered. Several examples are presented illustrating the general configuration of minimum weight designs and the dramatic weight savings attainable.
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