Slenderness classification of unstiffened metal plates under shear loading

Buckling behavior of slender and compact carbon steel, stainless steel and aluminum plates under the action of in-plane shear is investigated. Unstiffened shear plates with respect to their slenderness parameter and buckling behavior are qualitatively and quantitatively divided into slender, moderate and stocky categories. Accordingly, slender plates have a low buckling capacity, followed by a large postbuckling reserve. Their ultimate load coincides with the formation of inclined yield bands. Stocky plates yield before buckling. They have some post-yield capacity, buckle plastically and their ultimate and critical loads are equivalent. Moderate plates have concurrent material yielding and geometrical buckling followed by a sudden loss of stiffness. They neither have post-yield nor postbuckling reserves. Since the proportional limit stress is observed to be the cause of bifurcation in stocky plates, it is suggested that in dealing with the slenderness parameter, the yield stress be replaced by the proportional limit stress.