An experimental and numerical investigation on ultimate strength of stiffened plates with opening and perforation corrosion

Stiffened plates with openings exist in ship structures such as longitudinal girders and side shell platforms etc. Different from intact structures, the ultimate strengths for such kind of structures have not been extensively studied yet. In this paper, experiments have been designed and carried out to investigate the ultimate strengths and collapse behavior of stiffened plates with openings, and attached structures are introduced with simplified square tubes, and corrosion caused degradations are introduced and simplified as perforations. Three experimental models are employed to study the effects of perforation distribution. Additionally, numerical studies have been performed with Nonlinear Finite Element Analysis (NFEA) and results match well with the experimental results, based on the measured initial deflections by laser scanning technique. Collapse shapes have also been compared and analyzed, and influences of different types of initial deflections and boundary conditions on ultimate strength have been investigated. The results shown in this paper can be helpful for understanding the mechanism of structural collapse, and provide reference for the ultimate strength experimental designs of such structures. •Experiments have been designed and carried out for stiffened plates with openings and corrosion induced perforation.•Numerical analyses are carried out, and both the ultimate strengths and collapse modes match well with the experiments.•Collapse behavior has been carefully discussed based on experimental and numerical analyzes.•Deformation and initial deflection of side supporting structures are proved important for the ultimate strength problem.•Effects of initial deflection types and magnitude, and corrosion on the ultimate strength and collapse have been studied.