Inelastic deformation and failure of clamped aluminium plates under pulse pressure loading

An experimental and analytical study is presented of the inelastic deformation and failure (rupture) of clamped aluminium plates measuring 0.5 m×0.5 m at the clamped edge by 1 mm thick under pulse pressure loading. The pulse loading was applied by generating a dynamic pressure gradient across the plates using a fast differential pressure device. Both static and dynamic test results are reported together with the results of an investigation of the failure surface using scanning electron microscopy. An assumed-modes, elastic–plastic analysis of the plates using a finite strip model was used to predict the maximum displacement of the plates. A simple uniaxial strain-based failure criterion was used in the analysis to predict the failure pressure of the ruptured plates. The rigid-plastic method was used to estimate the permanent deformation of some of the plates. Reasonable agreement is obtained between the predictions of the simplified elastic–plastic analysis and the experimental results. The rigid-plastic results were less accurate at predicting the permanent deformation of the plates due to the long duration of the loading relative to the fundamental natural period of the plates.