Ultimate strength of dented steel plates under axial compressive loads

In this paper the ultimate strength characteristics of dented steel plates under axial compressive loads are investigated using the ANSYS nonlinear finite element code. The effects of shape, size (depth, diameter), and location of the dent on the ultimate strength behavior of simply supported steel plates under axial thrust are studied. A closed-form formula for predicting the ultimate compressive strength of dented steel plates are empirically derived by curve fitting based on the computed results. The results and insights developed in the present study will be useful for damage tolerant design of steel plated structures with local denting.