Linear and non-linear behaviour of steel plates with circular and rectangular holes under shear loading

In this work, linear buckling and the non-linear behaviour of steel plates with one perforation subjected to shear loading was studied. The influence of the dimension, position with respect to the two main axes, shape (circular or rectangular) and orientation of a hole with respect to the panel slenderness and aspect ratio were all investigated. In both circular and rectangular holes, the strong influence of hole dimensions on the shear buckling coefficient was observed, and the values of the shear buckling coefficient fell with the plate aspect ratio. Small differences in buckling coefficients were noted in rectangular plates with various hole diameters, and buckling coefficients were practically not influenced by the orientation of the rectangular hole. In both rectangular and circular holes, the coefficient remained constant, regardless of hole position for a given distance from the edge. Linear buckling and non-linear behaviour were compared by observing different shear failure modes for slender and thick perforated plates. Elastic and plastic regions were found, on the basis of critical slenderness, for some common geometries. © 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.