Experimental and numerical analysis of a multi-stiffened pure aluminium shear panel

The current paper deals with a detailed numerical study carried out on a pure aluminium shear panel and implemented through a FEM numerical model calibrated on the results obtained by an experimental test. The comparison between experimental and numerical data, in terms of dissipative capacity, maximum hardening ratio, secant shear stiffness and equivalent viscous damping factor, is carried out in order to show that the proposed model is reliable enough to well interpret the actual behaviour of the specimen, which exhibits many buckling phenomena and large plastic deformations. The proposed model is therefore profitably used to detect the exact displacement levels corresponding to the activation of the main buckling phenomena, as well as the stresses acting on the boundary bolted connections, which may result the weak point of the system. Moreover, the main outcomes of a parametrical study, which are implemented on the basis of the calibrated numerical model, are critically discussed and properly analysed, in order to define the erosion factor of the shear strength due to buckling. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.