Experimental strength analysis of steel plates with a large circular opening accounting for corrosion degradation and cracks subjected to compressive load along the short edges

• The effect of geometrical and age damage on the responses of thin rectangular steel plates is studied.
• Tests have been conducted for steel plates with a circular opening subjected uni-axial compression.
• Different initial imperfections, corrosion degradation and locked cracks are considered.
• Several collapse modes were observed and discussed.

This work studies the combined effect of both geometrical characteristics (opening and initial imperfections) and age related damage (corrosion and cracks) on the local and global responses of thin rectangular steel plates. A series of experimental tests has been conducted for in-service steel plates with a circular opening and subjected to several damage actions and uni-axial compression. Different initial imperfection shapes and amplitudes, corrosion degradation levels and locked crack lengths are considered. Several collapse modes were observed and the reasons for their occurrence are discussed. The experimental results of force-displacement and stress––strain relationships are presented and the relevant dissipated energies, resilience and toughness are estimated. The experimental results are compared with published experimental results, confirming the complexity of the plate behaviour accounting for different damage scenarios.