Elastic stability of uniformly compressed plates perforated in triangular patterns

Critical elastic buckling load of uniformly compressed isotropic plates perforated in equilateral triangular patterns was investigated using FEM. Stiffened and unstiffened square and rectangular elements with wide ranges of hole diameter-to-spacing ratio and plate slenderness were studied. The effect of perforations on the critical elastic buckling load was determined. Design formulas for predicting critical elastic buckling stress based on reduction coefficient approach and equivalent thickness approach were developed using multiple nonlinear regression analysis of FEM results. The obtained critical elastic buckling stress reductions and developed formulas were verified by comparison with results available in literature and with an extensive database of FEM results.