A simplified technique for shakedown limit load determination of a large square plate with a small central hole under cyclic biaxial loading

A simplified technique for determining the shakedown limit load of a structure was previously developed and successfully applied to benchmark shakedown problems involving uniaxial states of stress (Abdalla et al., 2007a,b,c). In this paper, the simplified technique is further developed to handle cyclic biaxial loading resulting in multi-axial states of stress within the large square plate with a small central hole problem. Two material models are adopted namely: an elastic-linear strain hardening material model obeying Zieglerʹs linear kinematic hardening (KH) rule and an elastic-perfectly-plastic (EPP) material model. The simplified technique utilizes the finite element (FE) method and employs small displacement formulation to determine the shakedown limit load without performing lengthy time consuming full elastic–plastic cyclic loading FE simulations or conventional iterative elastic techniques. The simplified technique is utilized to generate the shakedown domain for the plate problem subjected to cyclic biaxial tension along its edges. The outcomes of the simplified technique showed very good correlation with the results of analytical solutions as well as full elastic–plastic cyclic loading FE simulations. Material hardening showed no effect on the shakedown domain of the plate in comparison to employing EPP-material.