OPTIMIZING THE ARRANGEMENT OF TRUSS MEMBERS OR THE STIFFENERS OF PLATED PLANE PANELS UNDER INPLANE LOADS

Clerk Maxwell's theorem for the least weight arrangement of filamentary trusses enabled A.G.M. Michell to come to the tentative conclusion that in certain cases the least weight arrangement of the truss members or the stiffeners of an isotropic elastic continuum is obtained by following the principal strain trajectories. Using this as a basis, the Plane Stress Approximation incorporated with the Finite Element Displacement Method are employed to determine the general state of stress of a two-dimensional planar structure through which a technique is developed to obtain the principal stress trajectories for any plane stress with an isotropic material problem. A computer program has been written through which the displacements, the stresses, and the stress trajectories can be obtained; the results for several planar problems are in agreement with those theoretically predicted. A comparison among several stiffener arrangements suggests that the least weight arrangement that reduces the stress level by the required amount, throughout a cross-section of a plate, is the one which adds material at the location of maximum principal stress.

• Corporate Authors:

  Massachusetts Institute of Technology

  Department of Ocean Engineering, 77 Massachusetts Avenue
  Cambridge, MA  United States  02139
• Authors:
  • Rengos, C
• Publication Date: 1971-8

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Finite element method; Stiffened plates; Trusses
• Subject Areas: Design; Marine Transportation; Materials;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00034667
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Sep 29 1972 12:00AM