Buckling strength of steel plating with elastically restrained edges

The twin aims of the present study are to investigate the buckling strength characteristics of steel plating elastically restrained at their edges and also to develop simple design formulations for buckling strength as a func tion of the torsional rigidity of support members that provide the rotation al restraints along either one set of edges or all (four) edges. The charac teristic equation for the buckling strength of steel plating that is elasti cally restrained along either long or short edges while the other edges are simply supported was derived by an analytical method. Using the computed r esults obtained by directly solving the buckling characteristic equation, c losed-form expressions of the buckling strength of the plating with one set of edges elastically restrained while the other set of edges is simply sup ported are derived empirically by curve fitting. Based on the insights deve loped in the present study, approximate equations for the buckling strength for plating with all edges elastically restrained are proposed as a functi on of a relevant combination of the three simpler edge condition cases (i.e ., long edges elastically restrained/short edges simply supported, long edg es simply supported/short edges elastically restrained, and all edges simpl y supported). The effect of distortion of support members before the platin g buckles is also approximately accounted for. The validity of the proposed closed-form buckling strength design formulations is studied by a comparis on with theoretical and numerical solutions. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.