Improved prediction of simultaneous local and overall buckling of stiffened panels

In this paper, improved expressions for elastic local plate buckling and overall panel buckling of uniaxially compressed T-stiffened panels are developed and validated with 55 ABAQUS eigenvalue buckling analyses of a wide range of typical panel geometries. These two expressions are equated to derive a new expression for the rigidity ratio (EIx/Db)CO that uniquely identifies “crossover” panels—those for which local and overall buckling stresses are the same. The new expression for (EIx/Db)CO is also validated using the 55 FE models. Earlier work by Chen (Ultimate strength analysis of stiffened panels using a beam-column method. PhD Dissertation, Department of Aerospace and Ocean Engineering, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, 2003) had produced a new step-by-step beam-column method for predicting stiffener-induced compressive collapse of stiffened panels. An alternative approach is to use orthotropic plate theory. As part of the validation of the new beam-column method, ABAQUS elasto-plastic Riks ultimate strength analyses were made for 107 stiffened panels—the 55 crossover panels and 52 others. The beam-column and orthotropic approaches were also used. A surprising result was that the orthotropic approach has a large error for crossover panels whereas the beam-column method does not. Some possible reasons for this are suggested.