Ultimate Strength of Container Ship Bilge Panels Subjected to Axial Compression Combined with Bending and Lateral Pressure

摘要

Curved panels are widely used in fore and aft side shells and circular bilge parts of container ships, which are subjected to complicated load combinations including axial compression, bending, and lateral pressure, particularly in the most critical hull girder vertical bending conditions. In this paper, the nonlinear structural behaviors and ultimate strengths of bilge panels are investigated by performing a series of finite element analyses, and interactions between the above loads are also addressed. Meanwhile, variations in geometric parameters and structural scantlings are considered according to practical structural designs. Additionally, the effects of influencing factors such as initial deflections and geometric scantlings are investigated, and closed-form ultimate strength prediction formulae are proposed for curved stiffened plates. The results are representative and can be of reference values for structural evaluations and designs for similar structures.