Buckling interaction in regular arrays of distorted hexagonal plates

Abstract

AbstractLinear elastic buckling strength assessments are presented for a range of thin plate arrays with optimal strength to weight ratio configurations subject to a range of arbitrary in-plane stress states. The outcomes of the assessment are presented as design curves demonstrating relative buckling strength increases with respect to the classical square plate datum of equal mass.A stiffness matrix method is adopted for the initial buckling strength predictions. The method is based on exact flat plate theory and assumes that the plate is continuous over supports, whereby deformations in one cell of the plate array influence the deformations in adjacent cells. The supporting webs of each cell are approximated in this study by simple rigid supports that enforce nodal lines or lines of zero out-of-plane displacement in the buckled panel, i.e. the bending and torsional stiffness provided by the supporting webs of the real structure are ignored. Selected results are validated by FEM prediction.