The Response Of Stiffened Square Plates Subjected To Localised Blast Loading

Abstract

An investigation has been conducted to examine the behaviour of square plates, with different stiffener configurations, to a central localised blast load. The plates were 126 mm square, 1.6 mm thick, with built-in boundary conditions. The aim of this work is to determine the dynamic response of stiffened square plates to localised blast loads, and to assess the effect of stiffener configuration on plate failure. The purpose of this paper is to present the results of the experiments and the numerical analyses. Experimentally, a localised impulsive load was created using plastic explosive, and the resulting impulse was measured using a ballistic pendulum. Configurations tested included unstiffened (flat plates), single and double stiffened plates. The plates exhibited mode I (large inelastic deformation) and mode H (thinning and/or capping) types of response. Numerical modelling using ABAQUS/Explicit was also performed. Temperature dependent material properties, as well as strain rate sensitivity, are included in the numerical modelhng. Predicted values for mid-point deflections, overall deformed plate profiles and, where applicable, tearing locations are compared with experimental data. The numerical predictions, complimented by the experiments, give new insight into the effect of stiffener configuration on plate response to localised blast loads.