Nonlocal bending analysis of curved nanobeams reinforced by graphene nanoplatelets

The paper presents a large parametric investigation on the bending response of Functionally Graded (FG) polymer composite curved beams reinforced by graphene nanoplatelets resting on a Pasternak foundation. The theoretical framework is based on the First-order Shear Deformation Theory (FSDT) and the nonlocal elasticity theory. The governing equations are obtained by means of the principle of virtual works. Four different patterns are considered to describe the through-the-thickness distribution of the reinforcing phase. The effective Young’s modulus and Poisson’s ratio are evaluated through the application of the Halpin-Tsai model and the rule of mixture, respectively. The numerical results are presented in terms of some significant parameters, such as the weight fraction and geometric features of the graphene nanoplatelets, the total number of layers, the foundation properties and the nonlocal parameter. The effect of these quantities on the kinematic and static behavior is discussed.