Experimental and numerical analysis of the crushing behaviour of stiffened web girders

•Experiments and FE simulations of small-scale web girders subjected to in-plane loads are presented.•The specimens, scaled from a tanker bottom floor, are limited by one span between the longitudinal girders.•The experimental responses and permanent deformations show good agreement with the simulations.•The importance of the precise boundary conditions and the joining of the structure is discussed.

The paper presents experiments and finite element simulations of small-scale stiffened web girders subjected to local in-plane loads, in order to examine their crushing deformations and energy absorbing mechanisms. The specimens, scaled from a tanker bottom floor, are limited by one span between the longitudinal girders and the inner and outer bottom plates. Three small-scale specimens are designed, one unstiffened web girder and two vertically stiffened web girders, in order to compare the influence of the vertical stiffeners on the structural deformation and response of stiffened web girders. This investigation provides practical information to evaluate grounding scenarios where ship bottom floor sustains local penetration. Moreover, it should have relevance to evaluate the extent of structural damage within stiffened decks during side or bow collision accidents. The experimentally recorded force–displacement responses, deformation processes and permanent deformations show good agreement with the simulations performed by the explicit LS-DYNA finite element solver. The numerical analysis discusses some aspects of particular relevance to the behaviour of ship structures subjected to accidental loads. In particular, some comments are offered on the material plasticity and fracture, the importance of specifying the precise boundary conditions and the joining details of the structure.