Approximate boundary conditions for a Mindlin–Timoshenko plate surrounded by a thin layer

We consider the model of Mindlin–Timoshenko for a multi-structure composed of an elastic plate surrounded by a thin layer of uniform thickness. From the viewpoint of numerical simulation, the treatment of the behavior of this structure is difficult because of the presence of the thin coating. In order to overcome this difficulty, we use the asymptotic expansion method to identify an approximate model that does not involve the thin layer geometrically but which accounts for its effect through new approximate boundary conditions. These conditions are set on the junction interface between the two sub-structures and depend on the thickness and the physical characteristics of the thin layer. Moreover, we give optimal error estimates between the exact and the approximate solutions of the considered transmission problem, which validate this approximation.