Numerical study on buckling of aluminum extruded panels considering welding effects

Aluminum extruded panels are increasingly used in marine structures as lightweight solutions. Less welding is needed for such extrusions than traditional built-up panels of welding stiffener to plate sheets. However, the buckling mode and ultimate strength of aluminum extruded panels are difficult to predict with existing formulas due to different welding sensitivity. This paper presents a numerical study on the buckling of aluminum extruded panels, with the effects of welding taken into account. The numerical study was done with the nonlinear finite element method. The simulations were verified by comparing them with experimental results from the literature. The sensitivity of the ultimate load with respect to the welding effects was determined by parametric studies. The effect of inertia forces on the stiffener-tripping buckling mode was investigated. The influence of the slenderness ratio on the heat-affected zone (HAZ) effects was analyzed. The simulations can be also used as a foundation for developing improved analytical formulations.