Ultimate strength of stiffened plates with pitting corrosion

ABSTRACT:Predicting residual strength of corroded plates is of crucial importance for service life estimation of aged structures. A series of nonlinear finite element method is employed for ultimate strength analysis of stiffened plates with pitting corrosion. Influential parameters, including plate thickness, type and size of stiffeners, pit depth and degree of pitting are varied and more than 208 finite element models are analyzed. It is found that ultimate strength is reduced by increasing pit depth to thickness ratio. Thin and intermediate plates have minimum and maximum reduction of ultimate strength with stronger stiffeners, respectively. In weak stiffener, reduction of ultimate strength in thin and intermediate plates depends on DOP. Reduction of ultimate strength in thick plates depends on thickness ofplate and DOP. For intermediate plates, reduction for all stiffeners regardless of shape and size are the same.