Experimental investigation of dynamic post-buckling characteristics of rectangular plates under fluid-solid slamming

Dynamic post-buckling characteristics of rectangular plates subjected to in -plane fluid-solid slamming loads are experimentally investigated in the pr esent study. Based on observations on dynamic post-buckling response charac teristics and plastic collapse of the plates, a dynamic plastic collapse cr iterion is defined; and the corresponding critical impulse for each tested plate is determined. The results are compared with the numerical results an d good agreement is observed. The plastic collapse mode of the plates is al so examined in the study. The influences of different loading sequences and boundary conditions on the dynamic post-buckling behavior of plates are di scussed. It is found that different loading sequences strongly affect the p lastic deformation of plates, but they basically have very little effect on the load bearing capacity of a plate under fluid-solid slamming. Boundary conditions, however, strongly affect the plastic collapse load and collapse mode of the plates. Strengthening plate boundary constraints is a very eff ective way to enhance its load bearing capacity for in-plane impact loads. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.