The effect of welding on the strength of aluminium stiffened plates subject to combined uniaxial compression and lateral pressure

ABSTRACTNowadays aluminum stiffened plates are one of the major constituents of the marine structures, especially high-speed vessels. On one hand, these structures are subject to various forms of loading in the harsh sea environment, like hydrostatic lateral pressures and in-plane compression. On the other hand, fusion welding is often used to assemble those panels. The common marine aluminum alloys in the both 5,000 and 6,000 series, however, lose a remarkable portion of their load carrying capacity due to welding. This paper presents the results of sophisticated finite-element investigations considering both geometrical and mechanical imperfections. The tested models were those proposed by the ultimate strength committee of 15th ISSC. The presented data illuminates the effects of welding on the strength of aluminum plates under above-mentioned load conditions.