Some Recent Studies on Plastic Behavior of Plates Subjected to Large Impact Loads

This paper reviews some recent studies on the plastic behavior of steel plates subjected to large impact loads. This is an important topic for risk assessments and safety evaluations because of the ever heightened public concern about safety of marine structures and potential harm to the environment due to marine accidents. Emphasis is given to the complex plastic deformation patterns recently identified, including plate punching, plate tearing, and local denting of web girders. Descriptions are given of the complex interactions of the many mechanisms involved in these deformation patterns, including membrane stretching, local plastic bending, complex object geometry, rupture, cracking and friction. Advanced analytical formulas that can be used to describe these behavior mechanisms are introduced. These formulas are based on the advanced structural crashworthiness methodology.