Ultimate strength of stiffened aluminium panels with predominantly torsional failure modes

The aim of this paper is to investigate the ultimate strength of aluminium plates with flatbar stiffeners with a torsional buckling or tripping failure mode. The formulations for torsional buckling of stiffeners in steel plating are still debated. Compared with steel structures, the ultimate strength of aluminium structures is sensitive not only to residual stresses and initial deformations, but also to the deterioration of mechanical strength in heat-affected zones (HAZ). In the present paper, the ultimate strength of stiffened aluminium panels with predominantly torsional failure modes is investigated by experimental and theoretical analysis. Stiffened panels made of the aluminium alloy AA5083-H116 and AA6082-T6 are considered. Various height of flatbar and various thickness of plate and stiffener were studied. The test results are compared with numerical predictions by using the finite element code ABAQUS (ABAQUS Version 5.7 (1997)), considering the influence of initial deflections, welding residual stresses and HAZ. The influence of HAZ and residual stresses on the ultimate strength of stiffened aluminium panels with the actual failure mode is discussed in detail. The numerical predictions are also compared with strength of material formulations used in DNV Rules for Classification of High Speed and Light Craft (Rules for classification of high speed and light craft, Hull structural design (1996)), NORSOK (Design of steel structures (1998)) all for steel, using the relevant values of the modulus elasticity and yield strength of aluminium, as well as EUROCODE 9 (Eurocode 9, Part 1-1: General rules (1998)).