Large Deflections of Thin-Walled Plates under Transverse Loading—Investigation of the Generated In-Plane Stresses

Thin-walled plates subjected to transverse loading undergoing large deflection have been the topic of a large number of studies. However, there is still a lack of information about the nature and the distribution membrane stresses generated under large deflections. The purpose of this paper is to calculate and display the distribution of the generated stresses and the respective deflections on the entire rectangular plate area. Finite element analysis results for thin-walled plates with aspect ratios of 1, 2 and 5, on movable and immovable edges simply supported and clamped boundary conditions are clearly visualized. The distribution of the normal and shear stresses enables a good understanding of the plate critical points locations. It was found that strong tensile and compressive membrane stresses exist at various points near the plate edges, creating potential failure hazards.