PLASTIC-DEFORMATION OF A RIGID FLOATING PLATE - AN ANALYTICAL STUDY

This paper presents the general solution for a rigid plastic floating circular plate subjected to a laterally axisymmetric loading. The Tres ca yield condition is used along with the associated flow rule to deri ve the general solutions for the small- and large-deflected plates. Th e Hankel Transform is used to obtain the dual integral equations for t he fluid back pressure. The plate response is divided into three stage s. Initially the plate moves downward into the foundation as a rigid b ody. Subsequently the plate deforms in a conical mode in addition to t he rigid body motion (phase I). At a certain value of the load a hinge -circle forms which may move as the pressure increases further (phase II). A parametric study is carried out to examine the effect of the co ntrolling coefficients on the kinematics of the plastic hinge for the large-deflected plate. The external loading seems to have an insignifi cant effect on the average velocity of the plastic hinge. However, the initial plastic hinge velocity increases with the increase of the ext ernal lending and increases with the decrease of the deflection kineti c energy coefficient.