Elastic buckling behavior of rectangular plates with holes subjected to partial edge loading

Abstract

Cut-outs or openings are inevitable part of steel structural systems since they are required as access ports for mechanical and electrical systems or to reduce the amount of material that is used. When such perforated plates experience compression loads, they may buckle or show instability due to axial compression. In this study, the buckling of perforated square and rectangular plates subjected to in-plane compressive edge loading is investigated using the finite element method. To analyze the behavior of the plates the following four edge loading cases were applied; concentrated edge loading, asymmetric partial loading at the opposite edges, partial loading at the center of the opposite edges and partial loading at the two ends of the opposite edges. The plate aspect ratio, the length and location of the edge loading and diameter of the circular hole are taken as the variables that have a buckling effect on the behavior of the plate. The results show that the square plates are highly sensitive to buckling when the loading at the center of the plates.