Rigid-plastic finite element analysis of steel plates, structural girders and connections. (Q5958059)

The performance of three triangular plate elements for rigid-plastic finite element analysis of steel plates is evaluated. The elements considered are two variants of the constant stress triangle, the first one with no prescribed stress continuity and the second with prescribed stress continuity in inter-element normal stresses. The third element has linearly varying stresses with complete interelement stress continuity. The von Mises yield surface for steel plates is linearized, whereby the rigid-plastic analysis is formulated as a linearly constrained optimization problem, and is solved by an internal point method. Linear elements representing flanges and stiffeners in structural girders are introduced, as well as general joint elements for contact conditions. The basic singular performance of simple steel plates under point loads is first considered. Then various examples such as the beam bending type problems, a truss with welded connections and a portal frame with bolted end-plate connections are also analyzed. These examples show that the weak parts in complicated structural systems are properly identified, so that the developed methods appears to be effective for designing complicated steel structures.