Indentation of ring-stiffened cylinders by wedge-shaped indenters—Part 2: Scale model tests

The main objective of this account was to examine the effects of scale on the deformation and penetration processes of ring-stiffened thin metal cylindrical shells with fully fixed ends under quasi-static loading by wedge-shaped indenters. To this end three sizes of geometrically similar shells of the same material with outer diameters of 157.7, 236.5 and 315.4 mm were tested under geometrically identical conditions. The shells, which incorporated flat ring-stiffeners and deep frames (bulkheads), were loaded laterally at the midsection to failure. The results demonstrate that they conform to simple scaling laws.