The Effect of Elliptic Holes on the Bending of Thick Plates

The effects of an elliptic hole on both plain bending and pure twist of an elastic plate are investigated by application of the recent theory for bending of plates due to E. Reissner, where the influence of shear deformation and transverse-normal stress is taken into account. The stress-concentration factors are given for both cases mentioned. The solution, which is approximate in character, involves modified Mathieu functions of the second kind. In limiting cases, the results reduce exactly to the solution of corresponding problems with circular hole, as well as to the predictions of the classical theory of plates.