Calibration of the Modified Mohr–Coulomb Failure Criterion and Its Application in the Study of Collision Response of Ship Hull Plate Frame Structures

Within the lifecycle of a ship’s hull structure, damage due to collisions has been a focal point of research for researchers both domestically and internationally. To enhance the predictive accuracy of failure criteria in the simulation of ship hull collisions, this paper focuses on the modified Mohr–Coulomb (MMC) failure criterion for metals, utilizing a hybrid experimental–numerical method for parameter calibration. Consideration of stress-state-dependent mesh size sensitivity has been amended, and the approach is integrated into the comprehensive nonlinear finite element software Abaqus 2020. Finite element tensile simulations were conducted to validate the effectiveness of the MMC criterion. Simulation analyses were conducted based on drop hammer collision experiments with various failure criteria and grid sizes. The comparative validation highlighted the superiority of the mesh size sensitivity-corrected MMC failure criterion. The outcomes of this research provide a foundation for assessing the structural safety of ship hulls.