On deformation and tearing of stiffened and un-stiffened square plates subjected to underwater explosion—a numerical study

In modern combat operations warships can be subjected to underwater blast loads capable of causing considerable structural damage. Research in the field of underwater explosion effects on structures has seen systematic developments since world war-I (WW-I) with the increased awareness that the possible underwater explosions and threats from the hunter killer “U” boats could now be countered. Most of the earlier investigations were conducted by military and these were classified. Cole [1] established empirical relations to model the underwater explosion (UNDEX) loading, which were the outcome of numerous experimental investigations done by the military agencies. In the present study the UNDEX load profile has been modeled as an exponentially decaying shock wave, which varies spatially and transiently. The failure modes in high strength (HS) and WELDOX Steel rectangular plates was predicted using an elasto-plastic model with isotropic hardening, strain rate effects and fracture criterion under clamped edge conditions. These models were implemented in the nonlinear finite element code ABAQUS/Explicit. The present study predicts and establishes the failure modes using a 3D FE analysis.