Reliability-based allowable unfairness tolerances for unstiffened plates

A procedure and a simple formula have been developed for determining the ma ximum allowable plating unfairness tolerance in ship panels. The formula is based on reliability assessment of strength of unstiffened plates having i nitial imperfections. Plate ultimate strength is determined by taking into account the effects of initial deflections and residual stresses. A series of plate reliability analyses relative to the ultimate strength failure, fo r varying plate unfairness, and aspect and slenderness ratios, is carried o ut. Based on the computed results, a simple expression for predicting the m aximum allowable unfairness tolerance of the plate is derived. The develope d expression. described in terms of the plate slenderness ratio, can be use ful for the assessment of unfairness limits of plating between frames in sh ip structures.