A numerical investigation into the effects of slamming impulsive loads on the elastic–plastic response of imperfect stiffened aluminium plates

• Numerical investigations were made on transient large deflection elastic–plastic response of a number of stiffened aluminium panels subject to slamming impulsive loads.
• Both mechanical and geometrical initial imperfections and different HAZ arrangements have been taken into account in the finite element models.
• Different boundary conditions and impact conditions have been considered.
• Some design recommendations and future trends are outlined based on the research results.

Nowadays stiffened aluminium panels have been widely used for marine applications such as building high speed vessels. The panels of high speed vessels are subjected to different in plane and out-of-plane loads. One of the most important out-of-plane loads is the impulse caused by bottom slamming. In the present study, the transient large deflection elastic–plastic responses of a number of stiffened aluminium panels subject to slamming impulsive loads are investigated. The impulsive loads are exerted on the finite element models of aluminium panels proposed by Ultimate Strength Committee of ISSC 2003. Several impact conditions are considered to study the influence of several structural factors such as heat affected zone (HAZ) arrangement, boundary conditions, thickness of plating, number of transverse frames and in-plane fixation. Based on these studies, several design-oriented conclusions are issued. Moreover, this paper outlines the various aspects of the influence of the HAZ presence on the strength of the slam-loaded panels with respect to loading time ratio.