Cutting of a Longitudinally Stiffened Plate by a Wedge

The aim of this study is to obtain test data for longitudinally stiffened steel plates which are quasistatically cut by a rigid wedge, idealizing the deck or bottom platings in ship collision or grounding, and also to derive an empirical formula relating the absorbed energy and cutting length. A series of tests for longitudinally stiffened high-tensile steel plates is conducted, varying several factors, namely plate thickness, plate aspect ratio, angle/shape of wedge tip and property of stiffeners. A total of 50 specimens with thicknesses in the range of 3.4 to 7.8 mm and wedge angles of 15, 30, 45, and 60 deg, including one unstiffened and two horizontally stiffened plate specimens, were tested. The importance of each parameter and its effect on the cutting response are investigated. By dimensionless analysis of the test results obtained here, the energy absorbed while a longitudinally stiffened plate is cut by a wedge is expressed as a function of cutting length, yield stress, equivalent plate thickness, and wedge angle. Incorporation of dynamic effects into the static formula is suggested. A comparison of the proposed solutions with the previous formulas or drop-hammer test results is made.