Geometric Evaluation of Stiffened Steel Plates Subjected to Transverse Loading for Naval and Offshore Applications

Abstract

This work searched for the optimal geometrical configuration of simply supported stiffened plates subjected to a transverse and uniformly distributed load. From a non-stiffened reference plate, different geometrical configurations of stiffened plates, with the same volume as the reference plate, were defined through the constructal design method. Thus, applying the exhaustive search technique and using the ANSYS software, the mechanical behaviors of all the suggested stiffened plates were compared to each other to find the geometrical configuration that provided the minimum deflection in the plate’s center when subjected to this loading. The optimum geometrical configuration of stiffeners is presented at the end of this work, allowing a reduction of 98.57% for the central deflection of the stiffened plate if compared to the reference plate. Furthermore, power equations were adjusted to describe the deflections for each combination of longitudinal and transverse stiffeners as a function of the ratio between the height and the thickness of the stiffeners. Finally, a unique equation for determining the central deflections of the studied stiffened plates based only on the number of longitudinal stiffeners without significantly losing accuracy has been proposed.

Computational Modeling and Constructal Design Theory Applied to the Geometric Optimization of Thin Steel Plates with Stiffeners Subjected to Uniform Transverse Load

“…It is important to highlight that, based on the finds presented in De Queiroz et al [13], the present work brings a more comprehensive approach: we attained several values for the stiffeners volume fraction (ϕ = 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4, and 0.5) and a larger variation of the number of transverse and longitudinal stiffeners (N ls and N ts from 2 to 6). In addition, here different computational models were adopted, allowing investigation of the accuracy of 2D and 3D models.…”

“…Nowadays, there are few publications on this topic, but it is possible to cite Bejan and Lorente [33], Bejan et al [54], Lorente et al [55], and Isoldi et al [56] where, by means of analogies among heat transfer, fluid mechanics, and mechanics of materials, it was conceptually proven that the CDM is also applicable in structural engineering problems. There are also works dedicated to investigating the influence of geometric configurations of plates submitted to elastic or elasto-plastic buckling: Isoldi et al [57], Rocha et al [58], Helbig et al [59], Lorenzini et al [60], Helbig et al [61], Helbig et al [62], Da Silva et al [63], and Lima et al [64,65]; while in Cunha et al [66], De Queiroz et al [13], Amaral et al [67], and Pinto et al [68] the influence of geometry of stiffened plates was analyzed when submitted to bending. Finally, Mardanpour et al [69] and Izadpanahi et al [70] applied the CDM in a study about aircraft structures.…”

On FEM analysis of Cosserat-type stiffened shells: static and stability linear analysis

“…The square plate with a single stiffener placed along the x-axis was analysed in papers [13,[20][21][22][24][25][26]32,37]. The second case, the rectangular plate with two orthogonal stiffeners, was the topic of research in [ [24] 4.632* 1.424* Wen et al [25] 4.553* 1.335* Peng et al [26] 4.87** 1.36** Nguyen-Thoi et al [32] 4.498* 1.431* Hosseini and Soltani [37] 4.8363* 1.3647* *Explicitly given in reference **Read from a graph in reference [20] 14.95** -Kolli et al [21] 8.702* 1.240* Bedair [22] 8.00* 1.12* Peng et al [26] 8.70** 1.30** Tamijani et al [63] 9.75** -Hosseini and Soltani [37] 8.875** -Zhang and Xu [38] 8.91265* 1.23191* Cunha et al [64] 11.2** -*Explicitly given in a reference **Read from a graph in a reference…”

Constructal design associated with genetic algorithm to minimize the maximum deflection of thin stiffened steel plates

“…To theoretically prove the CD applicability for structural engineering problems, analogies among heat transfer, fluid mechanics, and mechanics of materials were presented in the studies of Bejan and Lorente, 24 Bejan et al, 25 Lorente et al, 26 and Isoldi et al 27 Other approaches that can be considered as related with problems concerned with mechanics of materials are the ones dedicated to the application of CD for optimization of iron and steel manufacturing process. [28][29][30][31] In addition, one can find studies employing CD exclusively to structural engineering problems for the geometric evaluation of perforated steel plates subjected to buckling [32][33][34][35][36][37][38] ; stiffened steel plates subjected to buckling 14,39 ; stiffened steel plates subjected to bending [40][41][42][43]54 ; and aircraft structures. 44,45 Therefore, the present study, by employing an approach that associates the CD method and GA, with the aid of FEM, seeks to find the optimized geometrical configuration that conducts the superior mechanical behavior of simply supported stiffened plates under transverse distributed loading, having the minimization of its maximum out-of-plane displacement as objective function.…”

“…To theoretically prove the CD applicability for structural engineering problems, analogies among heat transfer, fluid mechanics, and mechanics of materials were presented in the studies of Bejan and Lorente, 24 Bejan et al, 25 Lorente et al, 26 and Isoldi et al 27 Other approaches that can be considered as related with problems concerned with mechanics of materials are the ones dedicated to the application of CD for optimization of iron and steel manufacturing process 28‐31 . In addition, one can find studies employing CD exclusively to structural engineering problems for the geometric evaluation of perforated steel plates subjected to buckling 32‐38 ; stiffened steel plates subjected to buckling 14 39 ; stiffened steel plates subjected to bending 40‐43 54 ; and aircraft structures 44,45 …”