Study on model tests and numerical simulations of ultimate strength for large-span ship hull girders

To acquire the failure mode of large-span ship hull girder structures, this paper designed a ship hull girder model based on the hybrid similarity method and completed the ultimate bearing capacity model test. Then, nonlinear finite element calculations were conducted on the ultimate strength of the large-span ship hull girder model under vertical loads, and the results were compared with the model test results to validate the accuracy of this numerical simulation method. Comparative results indicate that the numerical simulation method using ABAQUS software exhibits high accuracy, with a deviation in the model's ultimate bearing capacity from experimental results of only −0.224%. Moreover, the strain curves at corresponding measurement points show good agreement, and the deformation trends during structural failure remain consistent. The research findings of this paper can provide a basis for verifying numerical simulation methods and offer valuable references for the ultimate strength design of similar large-span ship structures.