International Journal of Impact Engineering 28 (2003) 803–811

An experimental investigation on the dynamic ultimate

compressive strength of ship plating
Jeom Kee Paika,*, Anil Kumar Thayamballib
a
Department of Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering, Pusan National University,
30 Jangjeon-Dong, Gumjeong-Gu, Busan 609-735, South Korea
b
Chevron Shipping Company LLC, Camino Ramon, San Ramon, CA 94583, USA
Received 22 June 1999; accepted 04 November 2002

Abstract

The aim of the present study is to obtain experimental data on the ultimate strength of steel plates under
dynamically applied axial compressive loads. A series of dynamic collapse tests were carried out on steel
plate models under axial compressive loads, varying the loading speed. Based on the test results, the effect
of loading speed (or strain rate) on the ultimate strength of steel plates is investigated. Relevant useful
formulations for assessing the dynamic ultimate compressive strength of steel plates are also derived as a
function of the strain rate by curve fitting. The test data developed are documented.
r 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

1. Introduction

The response of ship plating is dynamic in nature since ships are subjected to both low- and
high-frequency dynamic loads induced by waves. Ship plating can buckle and collapse in
compression if the compressive stresses exceed the critical values. With increase of the design
speed of vessels, the speed of loading on ship plating is tending to get faster than before. It is
known that the strength characteristics of structural elements under dynamic loading are quite
different from those under a static or quasi-static loading situation [1].
During the last two decades, the emphasis in design of steel plated structures such as land-based
structures, offshore platforms and ship structures has been moving from the allowable stress
design approach to the ultimate limit state design approach [2]. In this regard, it is of importance

*Corresponding author.
E-mail address: jeompaik@pusan.ac.kr (J.K. Paik).

0734-743X/02/$ - see front matter r 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.
PII: S 0 7 3 4 - 7 4 3 X ( 0 2 ) 0 0 1 5 4 - 9
804 J.K. Paik, A.K. Thayamballi / International Journal of Impact Engineering 28 (2003) 803–811

Nomenclature

A cross sectional area of plate elements along the loaded edges=b
t a; b=plate length
and breadth
E Young’s modulus
Pu ; Pud ultimate compressive loads of plate elements under a quasi-static or dynamic
condition, respectively
t plate thickness
Uu ; Uud end shortening at the ultimate limit state of plate elements under a quasi-static or
dynamic loading condition, respectively
V0 speed of loading
Wu ; Wud maximum deflection at the ultimate limit state of plate elements under a quasi-static
porffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffi
dynamic ffi loading condition, respectively
b ¼ b=t sY =E plate slenderness ratio
e% strain rate
su ultimate compressive stress of plate elements under a quasi-static condition=Pu =A
sud ultimate compressive stress of plate elements under a dynamic condition= Pud =A
sY ; sYd static and dynamic yield stress

to better understand the ultimate strength characteristics of steel plates under dynamic loads as
well as static or quasi-static loads.
Recently, Jones [3] made an extensive survey of developments in the static and dynamic plastic
behavior of structures which have been published over the last 20 years. According to his review,
most previous studies related to the dynamic plastic behavior of structural members are limited to
either beam members or plates under lateral pressure loading, and the studies for dynamic
ultimate strength of plate elements under in-plane loads are not seen. For more rational design of
ship structures, it is important to better understand the buckling and collapse strength
characteristics of ship plating under dynamic in-plane loads.
In the present study, an experimental investigation on the ultimate strength characteristics for
ship plating under dynamic compressive loads is undertaken. For this purpose, a series of the
dynamic collapse tests were carried out on mild steel plates subject to axial compressive loads over
a range of speed of loading. The loading speed was varied from 0.05 to 400 mm/s. Based on the
test results, the effect of the loading speed on the ultimate compressive strength of mild steel plates
is investigated. Also, a simple formula for predicting the dynamic ultimate compressive strength
of steel plates is empirically derived as a function of the strain rate by curve fitting.

2. Specimen and procedure for dynamic collapse testing

Fig. 1 shows a schematic view of the test setup. The boundary conditions for the steel plate
specimen used are simply supported keeping their edges straight. Axial compressive loading is
applied by using an MTS servo-controlled hydraulic dynamic testing machine of 100 kN capacity.
 J.K. Paik, A.K. Thayamballi / International Journal of Impact Engineering 28 (2003) 803–811 805

A- A' section
500 60
Supporting jig
A 15
25
Test specimen 30

A'
500

Fig. 1. Schematic view of test setup (units: mm).

mm
500
a=

~t=1.6 mm

b=
500
mm

Fig. 2. Details of test plate specimen (all edges are simply supported keeping them straight, refer to the test setup shown
in Fig. 1).

The tests were carried out in the Ship Structural Mechanics Laboratory of the Pusan National
University in Korea.
The speed of loading is automatically controlled by a personal computer. During the testing,
various data including those pertaining to the applied load versus axial displacement relationship,
the applied load versus lateral deflection relationship and the time history of loading are
simultaneously recorded by the computer. The speed of loading is kept constant during any given
test. To investigate the dynamic ultimate strength characteristics, a series of tests are performed
varying the speed of loading in the range of 0.05–400 mm/s, which corresponds to strain rates in
the range of 104 –0.8 s1, since the strain rate e% of the plate element may be expressed as a
function of the loading speed V0 which keeps constant as
V0
e% ¼ : ð1Þ
a
A test is continued until and after the test plate specimen has reached the ultimate strength.
Lateral deflections are measured at a total of five points over the test plate using dial gauges which
are connected to the computer.
Fig. 2 shows details of the test plate specimen. The dimensions of the test specimen are 500 mm
in length, 500 mm in breadth and 1.6 mm in thickness. A total of four specimen with same
806 J.K. Paik, A.K. Thayamballi / International Journal of Impact Engineering 28 (2003) 803–811

Table 1
Mechanical properties of test specimen material obtained by tensile coupon test undertaken in the present study
Yield stress sY Ultimate tensile stress sT Young’s modulus E Elongation
251.8 MPa 360.5 MPa 198.5 GPa 39.5%

Table 2
A summary of the ultimate strength tests on steel plates under dynamic axial compressive loads obtained by the present
experiment
Specimen V0 (mm/s) e% (s1) sud sud Uud (mm) Uud Wud (mm) Wud
sY su Uu Wu
USP-S 0.05 104 0.2044 1.0 0.63 1.0 1.37 1.0
USP-100 100 2:0
101 0.2510 1.2280 1.07 1.6984 2.06 1.5036
USP-300 300 6:0
101 0.2761 1.3508 1.23 1.9524 2.41 1.7591
USP-400 400 8:0
101 0.2941 1.4388 1.27 2.0159 2.60 1.8978

60

50

40
Load (kN)

30 Experiments:
USP-S : V0=0.05 mm/sec
20 USP-100 : V0=100 mm/sec
USP-300 : V0=300 mm/sec
10 USP-400 : V0=400 mm/sec

0
0 1 2 3 4 5
End-shortening (mm)

Fig. 3. Dynamic compressive load versus end-shortening relationships varying the loading speed.

dimensions are tested for each speed of loading. Table 1 indicates the mechanical properties of the
test specimen material as obtained by tensile testing of coupon undertaken in the present study.
The material of the test specimen is mild steel with base metal rupture strains approaching 40%.

3. Test results and discussion

Table 2 and Figs. 3–8 show the test results. In Fig. 3, the applied axial compressive loads versus
axial end shortening relations for all test specimen are shown, with variation of the loading speed.
Fig. 4 shows the variation of the dynamic ultimate compressive strength of steel plates against the
 J.K. Paik, A.K. Thayamballi / International Journal of Impact Engineering 28 (2003) 803–811 807

70
60
50
Empirical formula

Pu (kN)
40
30
20
10
: Experiments
0
0 100 200 300 400 500
(a) V0 (mm/sec)

2.0

1.5

σud
1.0 Empirical formula
σu

0.5
: Experiments
0.0
0.0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1. 0
(b) Strain rate ε (1/sec)

Fig. 4. (a) Variation of plate ultimate compressive strengths with increase in the loading speed. (b) Variation of the
normalized ultimate compressive stress against the strain rate.

loading speed. Fig. 5 represents the effect of the loading speed on the critical value of axial
end shortening, i.e., when the ultimate limit state is just reached. Fig. 6 shows the applied
compressive loads versus the lateral deflection relationships varying the loading speed. Fig. 7
shows the variation of the central deflection at the ultimate limit state plotted against the loading
speed.
It is seen from Fig. 3 that with increase in the speed of axial compressive loading, the in-plane
stiffness and ultimate compressive strength of steel plates both increase, see also Fig. 4. This is
because the strain rate for the material involved increases as the speed of loading increases.
However, it should be noted that the value of axial displacements at the ultimate limit state is
also increased as the speed of loading increases. As seen in Figs. 6 and 7, the lateral deflections at
the ultimate limit state also increase with increase in the loading speed. The unloading pattern in
the post-ultimate strength regime tends to be more rapid as the speed of loading increases,
meaning that the tendency for unstable plate behavior is greater as the speed of axial compressive
loading becomes faster.
Based on the present test results, relevant useful formulations for assessing the dynamic
ultimate strength characteristics of plates are now empirically derived as a function of the strain
rate by curve fitting. To investigate the dynamic yield stress of the material, i.e., sYd from the
808 J.K. Paik, A.K. Thayamballi / International Journal of Impact Engineering 28 (2003) 803–811

1.5

1.0
Empirical formula

Uu (mm)
0.5

: Experiments
0.0
0 100 200 300 400 500
(a) V0 (mm/sec)

2.5

2.0

Uud 1.5
Empirical formula
Uu
1.0

0.5
: Experiments
0.0
0.0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1.0
(b) Strain rate ε (1/sec)

Fig. 5. (a) Variation of end shortening at the ultimate limit state with increase in the loading speed. (b) Variation of the
normalized end shortening at the ultimate limit state against the strain rate.

60

50

40
Load (kN)

30 Experim ents:
USP-S : V0=0.05 mm/sec
20
USP-100 : V0=100 mm/sec
USP-300 : V0=300 mm/sec
10 USP-400 : V0=400 mm/sec
0
0 2 4 6 8 10
Deflection (mm)

Fig. 6. Dynamic compressive load versus deflection behavior at the center of the specimen varying the loading speed.

static yield stress sY with e% known, the Cowper–Symonds equation has been widely used [1],
namely
 1=q
sYd e%
¼ 1:0 þ ; ð2Þ
sY D
 J.K. Paik, A.K. Thayamballi / International Journal of Impact Engineering 28 (2003) 803–811 809

3.0

2.5

2.0
Empirical formula

Wu (mm)
1.5

1.0

0.5
: Experiments
0.0
0 100 200 300 400 500
(a) V0 (mm/sec)
2.0

1.5

Wud Empirical formula

1.0
Wu

0.5
: Experiments
0.0
0.0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1.0
(b) Strain rate ε (1 sec)

Fig. 7. (a) Variation of central deflection at the ultimate limit state with increase in the loading speed. (b) Variation of
the normalized central deflection at the ultimate limit state against the strain rate (a) V0 =0.05 mm/s ð%e ¼ 104 s1 Þ; (b)
V0 =400 mm/s ð%e ¼ 0:8 s1 Þ:

where D and q are coefficients to be determined based on test data for various materials [1,2]. For
example, the parameters for the initial yield of mild steel under dynamic loading are D ¼ 40:4 s1
and q ¼ 5: Also, Paik et al. [4] determined a sample set of the Cowper–Symonds coefficients for
high tensile steel as D ¼ 3200 s1 and q ¼ 5:
The ultimate stress of the plate elements under dynamic axial compressive loads may be
expressed as a function of the strain rate, namely
 
sud e% 1=2:21
¼ 1:0 þ ð3aÞ
su 5:41

or
 
Pud V0 1=2:21
¼ 1:0 þ : ð3bÞ
Pu 2705
While a number of useful analytical methods for predicting the static ultimate compressive
strength of plate elements have been developed in the literature and described in the textbooks,
e.g., [2] among others, an empirical formula obtained by curve fitting based on experimental or
810 J.K. Paik, A.K. Thayamballi / International Journal of Impact Engineering 28 (2003) 803–811

Fig. 8. Views of two test plate specimens after the dynamic compressive collapse tests, showing predominantly one half
wave mode shows photographs of the specimen after dynamic ultimate strength testing. It is observed that the collapse
pattern of the plates under dynamic compressive loads is similar to that under a quasi-static loading condition, where
one-half wave mode is predominant.

numerical results is also useful for a quick estimate of the static ultimate compressive stress of
plate elements simply supported at all (four) edges. One of such empirical formulae developed by
Paik and Thayamballi [5] considering an ‘average’ level of initial imperfections (welding-induced
initial deflection and residual stresses) is adopted in the present study, namely
su 1
¼ qffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffi: ð4Þ
sY
0:960 þ 0:176b2

For the test specimen USP-S with very low loading speed, Eq. (4) provides an accurate solution
comparing with the test result. In a similar manner to the derivation of the dynamic ultimate
strength formula, the end shortening and maximum deflection at the ultimate limit state of plate
elements under dynamic axial compressive loads may be predicted by
 
Uud e% 1=3:16
¼ 1:0 þ ð5aÞ
Uu 0:74

or
 
Uud V0 1=3:16
¼ 1:0 þ ; ð5bÞ
Uu 370
 J.K. Paik, A.K. Thayamballi / International Journal of Impact Engineering 28 (2003) 803–811 811

 
Wud e% 1=2:43
¼ 1:0 þ ð6aÞ
Wu 1:21

or
 
Wud V0 1=2:43
¼ 1:0 þ : ð6bÞ
Wu 605
The adequacy of Eqs. (3), (5) and (6) are confirmed in Figs. 4, 5 and 7 by comparing with the
test data, respectively.

4. Concluding remarks

In the present study, the effect of the loading speed on the ultimate strength of steel plates
subjected to dynamic axial compressive loads is investigated experimentally. It is seen that the in-
plane stiffness and ultimate compressive strength of steel plates both tend to increase with increase
in the speed of loading. This is due to the fact that the strain rate of the material involved increases
as the loading speed increases.
However, it is also noted from the tests that the values of axial displacements and lateral
deflections until the plate reaches the ultimate limit state increase rapidly as the loading speed
increases. Also, the unloading pattern in the post-ultimate strength regime is more rapid with
increase in the loading speed. This would mean that as the speed of loading increases, the response
of steel plates will become more unstable after the ultimate strength is reached.
For structural design of ship plating, while it is recommended that the increase of the ultimate
strength due to the dynamic loading effect should not be overestimated, it is also recommended
that the potential for dynamic instability of steel plates in the post-ultimate strength regime
should not be underestimated. The related phenomena depend of course on the rates of loading
involved, as the data presented herein clearly indicate.
The test data and insights developed in this study should be useful for ultimate limit state design
of ship plating under dynamic axial compressive loads.

References

[1] Jones N. Structural impact. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1989, Paperback Edition 1997.
[2] Paik JK, Thayamballi AK. Ultimate limit state design of steel plated-structures. Chichester, UK: Wiley, 2002.
[3] Jones N. Dynamic plastic behaviour of ship and ocean structures. Trans RINA, Vol. 139, Part A, 1996. p. 65–97.
[4] Paik JK, Chung JY, Paik YM. On dynamic/impact tensile strength characteristics of thin high tensile steel materials
for automobiles. Transactions of Korea Society of Automotive Engineers, Vol. 7(2), SAE no. 99370060, 1999.
p. 268–78.
[5] Paik JK, Thayamballi AK. An empirical formulation for predicting the ultimate compressive strength of stiffened
panels. Proceedings of International Offshore and Polar Engineering Conference, Honolulu, May 1997; IV: 328–38.