Analytical solution for nonlocal buckling characteristics of higher-order inhomogeneous nanosize beams embedded in elastic medium

In this paper, buckling characteristics of nonhomogeneous functionally graded (FG) nanobeams embedded on elastic foundations are investigated based on third order shear deformation (Reddy) without using shear correction factors. Third-order shear deformation beam theory accounts for shear deformation effects by a parabolic variation of all displacements through the thickness, and verifies the stress-free boundary conditions on the top and bottom surfaces of the FG nanobeam. A two parameters elastic foundation including the linear Winkler springs along with the Pasternak shear layer is in contact with beam in deformation, which acts in tension as well as in compression. The material properties of FG nanobeam are supposed to vary gradually along the thickness and are estimated through the power-law and Mori-Tanaka models. The small scale effect is taken into consideration based on nonlocal elasticity theory of Eringen. Nonlocal equations of motion are derived through Hamilton's principle and they are solved applying analytical solution. Comparison between results of the present work and those available in literature shows the accuracy of this method. The obtained results are presented for the buckling analysis of the FG nanobeams such as the effects of foundation parameters, gradient index, nonlocal parameter and slenderness ratio in detail.