Toward the application of the layer-wise displacement theory in passenger ships—a quasi-static response

Abstract

This paper introduces an application of the layer-wise displacement theory for response analysis of multilayer ship girders. Quadrilateral, 6-node finite membrane elements are used for which 8 displacement degrees of freedom at corners, and 4 shear strain degrees of freedom at mid-side nodes, are defined. This approach enables accurate estimates of the shear strain between adjacent layers with different stiffness. A simple cantilever beam, non-uniform stepped girder with constant layer stiffness, and uniform girder with varying stiffness is used in the validation analysis. An excellent agreement between the fine mesh finite element model and the proposed model is observed.