Ultimate Compressive Strength of Aluminum Plate Elements

Abstract

In general, the elastic local buckling of a slender plate that is part of a cross section does not represent the limit of the load carrying capacity of the element or member. Aluminum alloy members may be cast, extruded, forged, or built up from plates joined together by any number of techniques, including welding. In order to study the ultimate strength of thin aluminum plates, finite element simulation of a series of stub columns was conducted. Slenderness of the plate elements that comprise the column varied in an effort to study the buckling behavior of plate elements with realistic boundary conditions. In some instances, parent metal stub columns were analyzed, and in other cases, simulations were conducted on stub columns joined together by welding including the effects of material softening in the heat-affected zones and residual stresses. Analytical results were compared to experimental data found in the literature and design recommendations found in the aluminum design manual.