Strength Assessment of Rectangular Plates Subjected to Extreme Cyclic Load Reversals

Abstract

The objective of this study is to investigate the strength of the rectangular plates subjected to cyclic load reversals with varying strain ranges. The finite element solution is implemented to estimate the load-carrying capacity. The influence of the initial imperfections, plate thicknesses and aspect ratio parameters have been accounted for. The cyclic response is predicted by using the material model assumed to follow the combined non-linear isotropic and kinematic strain hardening rules with Von Misses yield criterion accounting for the Bauschinger effect. It has been shown that the type of plastic formation during the cyclic load has a significant influence on the structural capacity and stiffness reduction. The initial imperfection has a significant impact on the ultimate load capacity reduction where the uni-modal initial imperfection type leads to a more stable load transition and plastic formation, reducing the structural capacity during the cyclic load exposure.