Experimental study of dynamic buckling of plates under fluid-solid slamming

This paper describes the experimental investigation of the elastic-plastic dynamic buckling properties of rectangular plates under in-plane fluid-solid slamming. Based on the observation of elastic-plastic dynamic response characteristics of the plates, a dynamic buckling criterion and a dynamic yielding criterion are defined. The corresponding critical impulse are determined from the experimental results for each tested plate. The effect of different boundary conditions on the elastic-plastic dynamic buckling properties of plates is also examined. The results indicate that dynamic buckling always takes place elastically for the types of rectangular plates tested under fluid-solid slamming. The dynamic buckling modes of the plates are governed by the plate fundamental transverse free vibration mode. It is also found that boundary conditions strongly affect the dynamic buckling properties of plates subjected to fluid-solid slamming loads. Strengthening plate boundary constraint is a very effective way to enhance the plates' ability to resist dynamic buckling. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.