Limit Load Analyses of Plates with a Hole Under in-Plane Loads

In this paper, the results of limit analyses are presented in dimensionless form for a wide range of geometric parameters, which are practically of interest. Analytical estimation of upper bound and lower bound limit loads of a plate with an elliptical hole under uniaxial loading and with a circular hole under biaxial loading in-plane stress condition are calculated; the analytical results are then compared with finite element calculations and the correlation between them is discussed. The finite element calculations consist of elastic-plastic estimation of limit load and lower and upper bound limit load prediction, using the elastic compensation method. The analytical upper and lower bound estimations and elastic-plastic results are found to be in good agreement with elastic compensation lower bound values, while the elastic compensation upper bound results are found to be overestimated.