On continuum modelling of the dynamic behaviour of periodic lattice-type plates with a complex structure

A new continuum model for studying the dynamic problems of periodic elastic lattice-type plates of an arbitrary lay-out is proposed. The general line of approach is partly based on the tolerance averaging techniques developed by Woźniak and Wierzbicki (2000) for the termomechanics of composite solids and applied by Cielecka et al. (1998, 2000) to the modelling of dense cellular structures. The proposed model describes the microstructure length-scale effect on the dynamic plate behaviour. The obtained equations are applied to the analysis of wave propagation in a special latticed plate. It is shown that the length-scale effect plays an important role and cannot be neglected in the above analysis.