Behavior of stiffened Curved Plate Model

The solution of the orthotropic plate equation, in polar coordinates, is obtained by the finite difference technique. The boundary conditions are imposed such that simple supports along the radial edges and free supports along the angular edges are prescribed. Fifteen various mesh pattern equations are developed; six of these patterns are described. The solution of these equations, representing a particular subdivided plate sector, is solved by a computer program. The internal forces throughout the plate are also evaluated by the finite difference method, utilizing the deflection data and a computer program. To evaluate the validity of the technique, a stiffened curved steel plate model was tested. Separate stiffness model tests were also conducted to evaluate experimentally the angular and radial stiffnesses and torsional stiffness, which were compared to the calculated stiffnesses. Proper evaluation of the plate stiffnesses resulted in analytical deflections and strains, which correlated very well with the experimental data.