Dynamic behavior of stiffened plates under underwater shock loading

Abstract

Abstract A numerical investigation has been carried out to examine the behavior of stiffened steel plates subjected to different shock loads resulting from an underwater explosion (UNDEX). The aim of this work is to enhance the dynamic response to resist UNDEX and obtain the optimal configuration for stiffened plates to resist underwater shock loading. A non-linear dynamic numerical analysis of the underwater explosion phenomena associated with different geometrical stiffened steel plates is performed using the ABAQUS/Explicit finite element code. Special emphasis is focused on the evolution of mid-point displacements and velocity. Further investigations have been performed to study the effects of including material damping and the rate-dependent material properties at different shock loads. The results indicate that stiffeners configurations and shock loads affect greatly the overall performance of steel plates and are sensitive to the materials data. Also, the numerical results can be used to obtain design guidelines of floating structures to enhance resistance of underwater shock damage, since explosive tests are costly and dangerous.