Collapse strength of rectangular plates under transverse compression

This paper presents a proposal for a new design equation to predict the collapse strength of plates under transverse compression both with restrained and unrestrained boundary conditions. The equation is developed from and calibrated with experimental and numerical results which allows an assessment of the uncertainty involved in its application. Finally, the proposed equation is compared with the predictions of a non-linear finite element code, which was used to verify in a systematic fashion the effect of changing some of the governing parameters.