Stability of Flexibly Connected Plate Systems

Two or more plates connected along lines parallel to the direction of in-plane load reach a limiting state of stability that depends on the stiffness of the connection. Intermittent and one-sided welds provide a connection with finite stiffness. Under certain circumstances described in the paper the connection flexibility may be estimated by averaging over the length of the assembly. This leads to a solution of the elastic limiting stability of the plates. When the elements in the assembly develop considerable torsional interaction the buckling stress may be analyzed for the system as a whole. Conditions are defined limiting the effectiveness of intermittent connections and it is shown that the connection is practically rigid if it is an all-around weld with size not less than the plate thickness.