The influence of boundary conditions on the shear buckling behaviour of thin corrugated plates

The high strength to weight ratio, and low cost, of corrugated plates has induced their increasing application in many diverse engineering structures. The corrugations act as transverse stiffeners, permitting the use of thinner plates with significant weight saving. Because of their high slenderness ratio, stability is of prime importance. This paper presents initial results of an ongoing investigation into the influence of boundary conditions, plate geometries, geometric and material non-linearities on the shear buckling behaviour of thin corrugated plates. Close range photogrammetry is used in the buckling experiments to determine initial imperfections and to measure out-of-plane deformations. Predicted behaviour, using finite element software is compared with experimental results and future research is mentioned.