  In this paper we propose a new refined shear deformation plate theory which
possesses a series of desirable features, the most salient of which are as
follows: (i) The loads, which are generally considered to be applied on the
middle surface of the plate, act on the upper surface of the plate; (ii) The
equations are applicable to the calculation of the stresses in isotropic plates
and provide the same order of accuracy as several theories with second order
shear deformation effects; (iii) It constitutes a theory, in the sense defined
by Love, since it gives easy expressions for application to problems in
different fields in architecture and civil engineering
