STRUCTURAL MECHANICS – 2022-23

EXERCISE 6: AXYSIMMETRIC PLATES

EXERCISE 1
An axisymmetric plate, which thickness is t= 50 mm and the radius is R=1000 mm, undergoes a uniform
pressure which varies between p1=0 MPa and p2= 0,5 MPa.
The material mechanical properties are: Rm= 420 MPa, Rp02= 280 MPa sD-1= 190 MPa.
Calculate in two cases: simply supported and blocked on the external edge:
• radial and circumferential maximum stresses on axis and on edge and plot the corresponding
bending moments per unit length diagram
• static and fatigue safety factor
• verify that the maximum displacement is lower than 5 mm

Solution

The stiffness of the plate is:

𝐸 ∙ 𝑡! 200000 ∙ (50)!
𝐷= = = 2,29 ∙ 10# 𝑁𝑚𝑚
12 ∙ (1 − 𝜈 " ) 12(1 − 0,3" )

Simply supported plate:

The moment per unit length is maximum in the centre of the plate and it is:

(3 + 𝜈)𝑝𝑅"
𝑚$%& = − = 1,03 ∙ 10' 𝑁
16

The corresponding stresses are:

6𝑚$%&
𝜎($%& = 𝜎)$%& = = 247,5 𝑀𝑃𝑎
𝑡"
t

0,5 247,5 s

𝜎*+ = |𝜎, − 𝜎! | = |𝜎( − 𝑝| = 248 𝑀𝑃𝑎

The static safety factor is:

𝑅./" 280
𝐶𝑆- = = 1,3
𝜎*+ 248

The maximum displacement is:

(5 + 𝜈)𝑝𝑅2
𝜔0%&,% = = 13,9 𝑚𝑚
64𝐷(1 + 𝜈)

R. Sesana – DIMEAS Axisymmetric plates 1

 Fatigue stresses

Amplitude [MPa] Mean [MPa]

Radial stress 124 124
Axial stress 0,25 -0,25
Circumferential stress 124 124

1 " " "

𝜎%,34 = D E𝜎%,) − 𝜎%,5 F + E𝜎%,5 − 𝜎%,( F + E𝜎%,) − 𝜎%,( F = 124 𝑀𝑃𝑎
√2

𝜎$,34 = 𝜎),$ + 𝜎(,$ + 𝜎5,$ = 247 𝑀𝑃𝑎

sa
sD-1=135
sa,L
sa,eq=124

sm,eq=247 sm
UTS=420

To find the fatigue limit when a mean stress is present, the Goodman line in Haigh diagram is used

𝜎%,6 𝜎$,6
+ =1
G𝜎78, 𝑈𝑇𝑆
𝜎$,6 = 𝜎$,34
Then
𝜎$,6 247
𝜎%,6 = J1 − K 𝜎78, = L1 − M 190 = 78 𝑀𝑃𝑎
𝑈𝑇𝑆 420

Then the fatigue safety factor is:

𝜎%,6 78
𝑆𝐹9 = = <1
𝜎78,%,34 124
Fatigue requirements are not verified

Blocked plate
The moment per unit length is maximum in the edge of the plate and it is:

𝑝𝑅3"
𝑚( = 𝑚$%& = − = 62500 𝑁
8
𝜈𝑝𝑅3"
𝑚: = 𝜈𝑚$%& =− = 18750 𝑁
8

The corresponding stresses are:

6𝑚$%&
𝜎($%& == = 150𝑀𝑃𝑎
𝑡"
𝜈6𝑚$%&
𝜎)$%& = = 45𝑀𝑃𝑎
𝑡"

R. Sesana – DIMEAS Axisymmetric plates 2

 t

0,5 45 150 s

𝜎*+ = |𝜎, − 𝜎! | = |𝜎( − 𝑝| = 150,5

The static safety factor is:

𝑅./" 280
𝐶𝑆- = = 1,4
𝜎*+ 150

The maximum displacement is:

𝑝𝑅2
𝜔0%&,% = = 3,41 𝑚𝑚
64𝐷

Amplitude [MPa] Mean [MPa]

Radial stress 75 75
Axial stress 0,25 0,25
Circumferential stress 23 23

1 " " "

𝜎%,34 = D E𝜎%,) − 𝜎%,5 F + E𝜎%,5 − 𝜎%,( F + E𝜎%,) − 𝜎%,( F = 66,5 𝑀𝑃𝑎
√2

𝜎$,34 = 𝜎),$ + 𝜎(,$ + 𝜎5,$ = 99 𝑀𝑃𝑎

sa
sD-1=135
sa,L
sa,eq=124

sm,eq=247 sm
UTS=420

To find the fatigue limit when a mean stress is present, the Goodman line in Haigh diagram is used

𝜎%,6 𝜎$,6
+ =1
G𝜎78, 𝑈𝑇𝑆
𝜎$,6 = 𝜎$,34
Then
𝜎$,6 99
𝜎%,6 = J1 − K 𝜎78, = L1 − M 190 = 145 𝑀𝑃𝑎
𝑈𝑇𝑆 420

Then the fatigue safety factor is:

R. Sesana – DIMEAS Axisymmetric plates 3

 𝜎%,6 145
𝑆𝐹9 = = = 1,5
𝜎78,%,34 99

EXERCISE 2
A circular plate has radius R=2000 mm. It is made of three plates of the same material
(steel, Rm=210MPa, ReH=180 MPa).
The thicknesses are: t1=12.5 mm, t2=25 mm and t3=37,5 mm.
Calculate the maximum stress in the three layers assuming that they are solidal and that the plate
undergoes a uniform pressure which resultant is F=200 kN.
Compare the maximum stress obtained with the maximum pressure, with the stress of the monolithic
plate.

t1
t2
t3

Solution
The distributed pressure is:
𝐹 𝐹
𝑝= = = 0,016 𝑀𝑃𝑎
𝐴 𝜋 𝑅"R
4

The plate stiffness general formulation is

𝐸 ∙ 𝑡!
𝐷= = 18315 ∙ 𝑡 !
12 ∙ (1 − 𝜈 " )
The stiffness of each plate is:

𝐸 ∙ 𝑡,!
𝐷, = 357715 𝑁𝑚𝑚
12 ∙ (1 − 𝜈 " )

𝐸 ∙ 𝑡"!
𝐷" = = 286171870 𝑁𝑚𝑚
12 ∙ (1 − 𝜈 " )
𝐸 ∙ 𝑡!!
𝐷! = = 965830070𝑁𝑚𝑚
12 ∙ (1 − 𝜈 " )

The total stiffness is the sum of the single stiffnesses:

𝐷;<; = 𝐷, + 𝐷" + 𝐷! = 1287773400 𝑁𝑚𝑚

The monolithic plate stiffness is

𝐸 ∙ 𝑡!
𝐷= = 18315 ∙ (𝑡, + 𝑡" + 𝑡! )! = 7593750000 𝑁𝑚𝑚
12 ∙ (1 − 𝜈 " )

R. Sesana – DIMEAS Axisymmetric plates 4

 In a simply supported plate of homogeneous material, undergoing a uniform pressure, the maximum
moment per unit length (thickness) is in the center of the plate

(3 + 𝜈)𝑝𝑅" 𝑁𝑚𝑚
𝑚$%& = = 13130,3
16 𝑚𝑚

This total moment per unit length is then distributed to each plate according to its stiffness:
𝐷,
𝑚, = 𝑚$%& = 364,7 𝑁𝑚𝑚
𝐷;<;
𝐷"
𝑚" = 𝑚$%& = 2917,8 𝑁𝑚𝑚
𝐷;<;
𝐷!
𝑚! = 𝑚$%& = 9847,7 𝑁𝑚𝑚
𝐷;<;

The corresponding maximum stresses are:

6𝑚,
𝜎, = = 14 𝑀𝑃𝑎
𝑡,"
6𝑚"
𝜎" = " = 28 𝑀𝑃𝑎
𝑡,
6𝑚!
𝜎! = " = 42 𝑀𝑃𝑎
𝑡,

If the plate is monolitic then the corresponding maximum stress is:

6𝑚$%&
𝜎$<= = " = 14 𝑀𝑃𝑎
𝑡;<;

EXERCISE 3
A circular holed plate is simply supported. It has external radius Re=125 mm, internal radius Ri= 100
mm and thickness s=18 mm. It is on the external edge and it undergoes a uniform pressure p=1 MPa on
the upper surface. Calculate the maximum stress and the maximum axial displacement.
The plate is made of steel, Rm=210MPa, ReH=180 MPa.

Ri
Re

Solution
The stiffness D of the plate is:

R. Sesana – DIMEAS Axisymmetric plates 5

 𝐸𝑠 ! 200000 ∙ 18!
𝐷= = = 106813 𝑁𝑚𝑚
12(1 − 𝜈 " ) 12(1 − 0,3" )

The general formulation for a plate undergoing uniform pressure, for the moments per unit length is:
are:
0 B 3+ ν 2 1+ ν $r'
2mr = A − + pr + F ln && ))
2 r 2 16 4π % re (
1
2 B 1+ 3ν 2 F * $r' -
m
2 c = A + 2
+ pr + ,(1+ ν)ln &
&r )) − (1− ν) /
3 r 16 4π ,
+ % e ( /.
Rotation and displacement are:

A B 1 pr 3 F + %r( .
α= r+ + + -(1+ ν)ln '' ** −10 r
D(1+ ν) D(1− ν) r 16D 4πD(1+ ν) -, & re ) 0/

𝐴 𝐵 𝑟 𝑝𝑟 2
𝑤 = 𝑟" + 𝑙𝑛 L M + 𝐶 +
2𝐷(1 + 𝜈) 𝐷(1 − 𝜈) 𝑟3 64𝐷

To obtain the A and B coefficients values boundary conditions are applied:

𝑚(3 = 0
G 𝑚(* = 0
𝑤(3 = 0

𝐵 3+𝜈 "
⎧ 𝑚(3 = 𝐴 − + 𝑝𝑟3 = 0
⎪ 𝑟3" 16
⎪ 𝐵 3+𝜈 "
𝑚(* = 𝐴 − " + 𝑝𝑟* = 0
⎨ 𝑟* 16
⎪
⎪𝑤 𝐴 "
𝐵 𝑟3 𝑝𝑟3"
= 𝑟 + 𝑙𝑛 L M + 𝐶 + =0
⎩ (3 2𝐷(1 + 𝜈) 3 𝐷(1 − 𝜈) 𝑟3 64𝐷

And then:
3−𝜈 𝑟3" 𝑟*"
𝑝(𝑟3" − 𝑟*" ) " "
𝐵=−
16 𝑟3 +𝑟*
𝐵 3+𝜈 " 3−𝜈 𝑝 " "
𝑟3" 𝑟*" 3+𝜈 "
𝐴= "− 𝑝𝑟3 = − "
(𝑟3 − 𝑟* ) " − 𝑝𝑟3
𝑟3 16 16 𝑟3 "
𝑟3 +𝑟* 16
𝐴 𝑝𝑟3"
𝐶=− 𝑟3" −
2𝐷(1 + 𝜈) 64𝐷

R. Sesana – DIMEAS Axisymmetric plates 6