Lateral impact tests on FH32 grade steel stiffened plates at room and sub-zero temperatures

This study examined the large inelastic deformation of FH32 grade steel stiffened plates subjected to a low-velocity mass impact. The impact scenario considered is relevant to the operation of marine structures in Arctic environments. Drop-weight impact tests were conducted on specimens with three different geometries at room temperature and −60°C. This paper provides details of the tests for obtaining the quasi-static and rate-dependent mechanical properties of FH32 at room and low temperature, as well as the experimental setup and the testing procedure of the drop-weight impact tests. The experimental results showed that for the tested structures, the crashworthiness was improved significantly at low temperatures, and ductile or brittle fracture was not observed under the testing conditions considered. Numerical simulations of the tests were also performed using several different approaches. In particular, the numerical predictions were more accurate when the rate-dependent plasticity was considered.