Thin steel plates are commonly used as structural elements in buildings, bridges, towers, aircrafts, etc. Due to their slenderness, these plates are susceptible to buckling under shear loading, thus limiting their capacity. The recent research shows that many existing models do not represent the true mechanics of ultimate shear buckling. This project will investigate and advance the knowledge of shear buckling response, thus leading to improved economy, durability, and safety of structures that use thin plates.

The overall objective of this project is to comprehensively investigate the mechanics of shear buckling behavior in steel plates, thus leading to (a) new predictive models that capture the true mechanics, and (b) design modifications that increase economy, robustness, and life-cycle performance. The research plan involves both nonlinear finite element studies and experimental tests. A detailed examination of the stress patterns and load redistribution from the elastic buckling stage to the ultimate postbuckling capacity will be the primary focus. Physical tests will explore new panel configurations, and potential material optimizations will be identified based on finite element mechanics studies. Experiments have been conducted using facilities at Lehigh University to examine the shear buckling performance of steel plate girder specimens, both with and without bending moment. The data from these tests were used to directly validate the computational modeling approaches.

Partial List of References

  • Wang, P.Y., Masungi, P., Garlock, M.E.M., Quiel, S. (2021). “Postbuckling Mechanics in Slender Steel Plates Under Pure Shear: A Focus on Boundary Conditions and Load Path”, in press, Thin-Walled Structures, Elsevier
  • Wang, P.Y., Garlock, M.E.M., Zoli, T., Quiel, S. (2021). “Low-frequency sinusoids for enhanced shear buckling performance of thin plates”, Journal of Constructional Steel Research, Vol 177, February. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcsr.2020.106475
  • Garlock, M.E.M, Quiel, S.E., Alos Moya, J., Wang, P., Glassman, J. (2019). “Postbuckling Mechanics of a Square Slender Steel Plate in Pure Shear,” Engineering Journal, AISC, Vol. 56, p. 27-46 https://www.aisc.org/Post-Buckling-Mechanics-of-a-Square-Slender-Steel-Plate-in-Pure-Shear#.XDDlAi2ZNo4.
  • Glassman, J.D., Boyce, V., Garlock, M.E.M. (2018). “Effectiveness of stiffeners on steel plate shear buckling at ambient and elevated temperatures”, Engineering Structures, Elsevier, DOI: 10.1016/j.engstruct.2018.12.012ISBN: 0141-0296
  • Garlock, M.E.M., Quiel, S.E, Alós-Moya, J., Glassman, J. (2017). “Postbuckling mechanics of square slender steel plates in pure shear: Examining the role of second order effects”, Proceedings of the Annual Stability Conference – Structural Stability Research Council, San Antonio, Texas, March 21-24
  • Glassman, J., and Garlock, M. (2016). “A Compression Model for Ultimate Postbuckling Shear Strength”. Thin Walled Structures, Elsevier, Volume 102, Pages 258–272.