Experimental strength assessment of thin steel plates with a central elongated circular opening

Highlight
• Plates with a central elongated circular opening, are tested under compression to collapse.
• The effect of the opening size on the ultimate strength is investigated.
• The force–displacements relationships are presented and the dissipated energy is analyzed
• The ultimate strength has been compared with recently published studies showing a good trend.

This work assesses the ultimate strength of experimentally tested steel plates with a large central elongated circular opening, subjected to uni-axial compressive load. A series of experimental tests have been carried out on plates that were part of a real structure, which represents a scaled midship section of single hull tanker ship, tested in a corrosive environment in direct contact with seawater. One elongated circular opening shape with different sizes is analyzed and the effect of the opening size on the ultimate strength is investigated. The force–displacements relationships are presented and the dissipated energy is analyzed. Stress–strain relationships, resilience and toughness have been evaluated. The collapse modes are discussed and the ultimate strength has been compared with recently published studies showing a good agreement in the trend.