This work is devoted to the analysis of the mechanical strength of heterogeneous periodic media submitted to variable loads. The shakedown static approach is coupled with the homogenisation theory to obtain the strength domains: the effective ultimate yield surfaces and shakedown domains. This direct method leads to constrained optimization problems on a three-dimensional unit cell. In order to treat general microstructures, the fem is used and a specific formulation is introduced to rigorously take into account the specificities of the localisation problems. It eventually leads to discretized constrained optimization problems. Using this method, this work is focused on the case of heterogeneous plates, which exhibit periodic microstructures only in the two in-plane directions. The effective model (Love-Kirchhoff) is obtained by solving problems on a 3D unit cell. Membrane-bending couplings and three dimensional effects are naturally taken into account. The effective strength domains are obtained in terms of in-plane stresses and bending moments. The method is first validated for a homogeneous plate. Two other examples are also proposed : a sandwich plate and a periodically perforated plate.