Optimization of Stepped Elastic Plastic Plates

Abstract

A method of analysis and optimization of stepped plates made of elastic plastic materials is developed. The stress-strain of the plate is defined for the initial elastic and subsequent elastic plastic stages of deformation. Necessary optimality conditions are derived with the aid of variational methods of the theory of optimal control. This results in a differential-algebraic system of equations. The latter is solved numerically. The effectivity of the design established is assessed in the cases of one-and multi-stepped plates assuming the material obeys the Tsai-Wu or von Mises yield condition.