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Plates
CONTENTS
1.
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1.
SUMMARY
This section introduces the uses of plates and plated assemblies
in steel structures. It describes the basic behaviour of plate
panels subject to in-plane or out-of-plane loading, highlighting
the importance of geometry and boundary conditions. Basic
buckling modes and mode interaction are presented. It
introduces the concept of effective width and describes the
influence of imperfections on the behaviour of practical plates.
It also gives an introduction
1. INTRODUCTION
Plates are very important elements in steel structures. They can
be assembled into complete members by the basic rolling
process (as hot rolled sections), by folding (as cold formed
sections) and by welding. The efficiency of such sections is
due to their use of the high in-plane stiffness of one plate
element to support the edge of its neighbour, thus controlling
the out-of-plane behaviour of the latter.
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approximating a saucer and the corner regions will lift off their
supports. If it is attached to the supports, as in Figure 15c, for
example by welding, this lift off is prevented and the plate
stiffness and action capacity increases. If the edges are encastre
as in Figure 15d, both stiffness and strength are increased by
the boundary restraining moments.
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4. CONCLUDING SUMMARY
5. ADDITIONAL READING
1. Timoshenko, S. and Weinowsky-Kreiger, S., "Theory
of Plates and Shells" Mc Graw-Hill, New York,
International Student Edition, 2nd Ed.
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2.
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SUMMARY
The load distribution for unstiffened plate structures loaded inplane is discussed. The critical buckling loads are derived using
Linear Elastic Theory. The effective width method for
determining the ultimate resistance of the plate is explained as
are the requirements for adequate finite element modelling of a
plate element. Out-of-plane loading is also considered and its
influence on the plate stability discussed.
1. INTRODUCTION
Thin-walled members, composed of thin plate panels welded
together, are increasingly important in modern steel
construction. In this way, by appropriate selection of steel
quality, geometry, etc., cross-sections can be produced that best
fit the requirements for strength and serviceability, thus saving
steel.
Recent developments in fabrication and welding procedures
allow the automatic production of such elements as plate
girders with thin-walled webs, box girders, thin-walled
columns, etc. (Figure 1a); these can be subsequently
transported to the construction site as prefabricated elements.
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where:
u = u(x, y), v = v(x, y): are the displacement components in the
x and y directions
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2E/2
(1)
xy = u/y +
xy/x + y/y = 0
(3)
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(6)
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where E =
(8)
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(9)
For a given pair of applied stresses (, ) the factor of safety
with respect to the above curve is given by:
(10)
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(12)
This results in a coupling between the equations governing the
stretching and the bending of the plate (Equations (1) and (2)).
(13a)
(13b)
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Buckling curve
For the reasons outlined above, it is evident that the Euler
buckling curve for linear buckling theory (Figure 6c) may not
be used for design. A lot of experimental and theoretical
investigations have been performed in order to define a
buckling curve that best represents the true behaviour of plate
panels. For relevant literature reference should be made to
Dubas and Gehri [7]. For design purposes it is advantageous to
express the buckling curve in a dimensionless form as
described below.
The slenderness of a panel may be written according to (7) and
(8) as:
p = (b/t) {12(12)/k} = (/cr) (14)
If a reference slenderness given by:
y = (/fy) (15)
is introduced, the relative slenderness becomes:
p
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p,
that is
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The stress distribution which is initially uniform, becomes nonuniform after buckling, since the central parts of the panel are
not able to carry more stresses due to the bowing effect. The
stress at the stiff edges (towards which the redistribution takes
place) may reach the yield stress. The method is based on the
assumption that the non-uniform stress distribution over the
entire panel width may be substituted by a uniform one over a
reduced "effective" width. This width is determined by
equating the resultant forces:
b u = be y (18)
and accordingly:
be = u.b/y = kb
(19)
(/cr) (20)
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For given actions conditions the stress distribution at the crosssection is determined. At each subpanel the critical stress cr,
the relative slenderness p and the effective width be are
determined according to Equations (7), (16) and (19),
respectively. The effective width is then distributed along the
panel as illustrated by the examples in Figure 13b. The
verifications are finally based on the characteristic Ae, Ie, and
We of the effective cross-section. For the cross- section of
Figure 14b, which is subjected to normal forces and bending
moments, the verification is expressed as:
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(21)
where e is the shift in the centroid of the cross-section to the
tension side and m the partial safety factor of resistance.
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The program used must be able to take a true stressstrain relationship into account, see Figure 18, and if
necessary an initial stress pattern. The latter can also be
included in the initial shape.
The computer model must use a loading which is equal
to the design loading multiplied by an action factor.
This factor should be increased incrementally from zero
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4w =
where:
q = q(x, y)
3
D = Et /12(1-
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6. REFERENCES
[1] Bryan, G. K., "On the Stability of a Plane Plate under
Thrusts in its own Plane with Application on the "Buckling" of
the Sides of a Ship". Math. Soc. Proc. 1891, 54.
[2] Szilard, R., "Theory and Analysis of Plates", Prentice-Hall,
Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, 1974.
[3] Brush, D. O. and Almroth, B. O., "Buckling of Bars, Plates
and Shells", McGraw-Hill, New York, 1975.
[4] Wolmir, A. S., "Biegsame Platten und Schalen", VEB
Verlag fr Bauwesen, Berlin, 1962.
[5] Timoshenko, S., and Winowsky-Krieger, S., "Theory of
Plates and Shells", Mc Graw Hill, 1959.
[6] Chwalla, E., "Uber ds Bigungsbeulung der
Langsversteiften Platte und das Problem der Mindersteifigeit",
Stahlbau 17, 84-88, 1944.
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3.
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SUMMARY
The load distribution for in-plane loaded unstiffened plate
structures is discussed and the critical buckling loads derived
using linear elastic theory. Two design approaches for
determining the ultimate resistance of stiffened plates are
described and compared. Out-of-plane loading is also
considered and its influence on stability discussed. The
requirements for finite element models of stiffened plates are
outlined using those for unstiffened plates as a basis.
1. INTRODUCTION
The automation of welding procedures and the need to design
elements not only to have the necessary resistance to external
actions but also to meet aesthetic and serviceability
requirements leads to an increased tendency to employ thinwalled, plated structures, especially when the use of rolled
sections is excluded, due to the form and the size of the
structure. Through appropriate selection of plate thicknesses,
steel qualities and form and position of stiffeners, crosssections can be best adapted to the actions applied and the
serviceability conditions, thus saving material weight.
Examples of such structures, shown in Figure 1, are webs of
plate girders, flanges of plate girders, the walls of box girders,
thin-walled roofing, facades, etc.
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(2o) = 0 (2)
2
with E =
The most extensive studies on rectangular, simply supported
stiffened plates were carried out by Klppel and Scheer[1] and
Klppel and Mller[2]. They give charts, as shown in Figure 7,
for the determination of k as a function of the coefficients
and , previously described, and the parameters = a/b and
=2/1 as defined in Figure 6a. Some solutions also exist for
specific cases of plates with fully restrained edges, stiffeners
with substantial torsional rigidity, etc. For relevant literature
the reader is referred to books by Petersen [3] and by Dubas
and Gehri[4].
(3)
which complies with the boundary conditions. The stability
criterion, Equation (2), then becomes:
(4)
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the stiffeners are so stiff that buckling in an unstiffened subpanel occurs before buckling of the stiffened plate. The critical
buckling stress is determined for such cases by the expression:
vcr = k Z1s E (6)
where E has the same meaning as in Equation (5).
s is given by charts (Figure 8b).
When the number of stiffeners in one direction exceeds two,
the numerical effort required to determine k becomes
considerable; for example, a plate panel with 2 longitudinal and
2 transverse stiffeners requires a Ritz expansion of 120.
Practical solutions may be found by "smearing" the stiffeners
over the entire plate. The plate then behaves orthotropically,
and the buckling coefficient may be determined by the same
procedure as described before.
Z1 =
k , k are the buckling coefficients for normal and shear
stresses acting independently
For more details the reader is referred to the publications
previously mentioned.
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The third type III* is defined such that the buckling coefficient
of the stiffened plate becomes equal to the buckling coefficient
of the most critical unstiffened subpanel (Figure 9c).
The procedure to determine the optimum or critical stiffness is,
therefore, quite simple. However, due to initial imperfections
of both plate and stiffeners as a result of out of straightness and
welding stresses, the use of stiffeners with critical stiffness will
not guarantee that the stiffeners will remain straight when the
adjacent unstiffened plate panels buckle.
This problem can be overcome by multiplying the optimum
(critical) stiffness by a factor, m, when designing the stiffeners.
The factor is often taken as m = 2,5 for stiffeners which form a
closed cross-section together with the plate, and as m = 4 for
stiffeners with an open cross-section such as flat, angle and Tstiffeners.
2.2.2 Ultimate resistance of stiffened plates
Behaviour of Stiffened Plates
The second type II*, is defined as the value for which two
curves of the buckling coefficients, belonging to different
numbers of waves, cross (Figure 9b). The buckling coefficient
for < II* reduces considerably, whereas it increases slightly
for > II*. A stiffener with = II* deforms at the same time
as the plate buckles.
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The first, as initially formulated by the ECCSRecommendations [7] for allowable stress design and later
expanded by DIN 18800, part 3[8] to ultimate limit state
design, still uses values from linear buckling theory for
stiffened plates. The second, as formulated by recent Drafts of
ECCS-Recommendations [9,10], is based instead on various
simple limit state models for specific geometric configurations
and loading conditions. Both approaches have been checked
against experimental and theoretical results; they will now be
briefly presented and discussed.
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a) Plate girders with transverse stiffeners only (Figure 13a) Eurocode 3 [11].
b) Longitudinally stiffened webs of plate and box girders
(Figure 13b) - ECCS-TWG 8.3, 1989.
c) Stiffened compression flanges of box girders (Figure 13c) ECCS [10].
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For stiffened plates the values given by this theory are used
only for the expression of the rigidity requirements for
stiffeners. Generally this approach gives rigidity and strength
requirements for the stiffeners which are stricter than those
mentioned previously in this section.
Discussion of the Design Approaches
Both approaches have advantages and disadvantages.
The main advantage of the first approach is that it covers the
design of both unstiffened and stiffened plates subjected to
virtually any possible combination of actions using the same
method. Its main disadvantage is that it is based on the
limitation of stresses and, therefore, does not allow for any
plastic redistribution at the cross-section. This is illustrated by
the example shown in Figure 14. For the box section of Figure
14a, subjected to a bending moment, the ultimate bending
resistance is to be determined. If the design criterion is the
limitation of the stresses in the compression thin-walled flange,
as required by the first approach, the resistance is Mu =
400kNm. If the computation is performed with effective widths
that allow for plastic deformations of the flange, Mu is found
equal to 550kNm.
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5. CONCLUDING SUMMARY
6. REFERENCES
4. INFLUENCE OF OUT-OF-PLANE ACTIONS ON THE
STABILITY OF STIFFENED PLATES
The stability of the stiffened plate is unfavourably influenced if
the deflections, due to out-of-plane actions, are similar to the
stability collapse mode.
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[4] Dubas, P., Gehri, E., "Behaviour and Design of Steel Plated
Structures", ECCS, 1986.
[5] Briassoulis, D., "Equivalent Orthotropic Properties of
Corrugated Sheets", Computers and Structures, 1986, 129-138.
[6] Chwalla, E., "Uber die Biegungsbeulung der
langsversteiften Platte und das Problem der Mindeststeifigeit",
Stahlbau 17, 1944, 84-88.
[7] ECCS, "Conventional design rules based on the linear
buckling theory", 1978.
[8] DIN 18800 Teil 3 (1990), "Stahlbauten, Stabilittsfalle,
Plattenbeulen", Berlin: Beuth.
[9] ECCS, "Design of longitudinally stiffened webs of plate
and box girders", Draft 1989.
[10] ECCS, "Stiffened compression flanges of box girders",
Draft 1989.
[11] Eurocode 3, "Design of Steel Structures": ENV 1993-1-1:
Part 1.1: General rules and rules for buildings, CEN, 1992.
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