Method for Minimal Design of Axisymmetric Plates

A method of minimum volume design for axisymmetric plates, exclusively based on statical considerations, is developed. The method uses a novel technique of stress variation by which a given stress of the plate is transformed into another stress. The volume variation resulting from this transformation is assessed for plates of sandwich construction obeying Tresca's criterion. A reduction in volume indicates that the given stress does not lead to the minimum volume design, which is eventually determined by a short elimination process. The minimum volume designs of a class of sandwich axisymmetric plates not studied before are determined and some unknown aspects of the problem in cases previously studied are revealed.