A simplified method for nonlinear failure analysis of stiffened plates

This paper shows that the application of pre-determined failure equations, derived from nonlinear finite element analyses, is effective in determining failure of structural components in a simpler linear finite element analysis. An analysis method is presented which is called simplified failure analysis. The first step of this method is the nonlinear determination of a component's failure limit. Next, a linear coarse-meshed finite element model of the component is analyzed under the failure load determined in the previous step. The resulting linear stress distribution is a ‘representative failure stress’ for the component because it is in equilibrium with the applied failure load. This ‘failure stress’ is then used in simpler linear analysis to provide a representative failure limit. This method is verified by an analysis of a structural grillage.