The large deflection geometrically nonlinear behaviour of segmental annular plates subjected to uniform lateral loads is investigated. The finite element method of analysis is used in conjunction with linearised incrementation. The linearisation is based on a mid-increment stiffness technique and the elements used are developed using a system of polar coordinates. Both the extensional membrane and inextensional bending sector elements have displacement fields satisfying the exact representation of strain-free rigid body modes of displacements and have only the essential external geometric degrees of freedom at each of the four corner nodes.

Segmental plates clamped along the two radial straight boundaries and free along the two concentric circular edges are considered. Results for the deflections as well as the various components of stresses are obtained for loading levels causing vertical deflections of up to four times the thickness of the plate.

A parametric study to investigate the effect of the values of the subtended angle and the ratio of the inner to outer radii is presented. In all cases the influence of freeing the circumferential inplane displacement on the behaviour of the segments is obtained. The distribution of the various stresses within the segments at chosen levels of loading is also obtained.

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