Commentary to EN 1993-1-5 First edition 2007

11 Annex A to EN 1993-1-5 – Calculation of critical stresses for

stiffened plates
René Maquoi, Department M&S, Université de Liège

11.1 Case of multiple stiffeners

(1) The determination of the buckling coefficient k σ for longitudinally EN 1993-1-5,

stiffened plate elements is quite complex. Indeed k σ depends not only on A.1(2)
the aspect ratio and the support conditions but also on many other
parameters, such as the extensional, flexural and torsional relative cross-
sectional properties of the stiffeners (so-called relative because compared to
the similar properties of the sole plating) and the location of these stiffeners.
Conservatively, the supported edges of plate elements should be supposed to
be simply supported; only such support conditions are indeed susceptible of
enabling the amount of post-critical strength which is implicitly exploited
by the design rules of EN 1993-1-5.
The calculation of k σ may be conducted in several ways:
- From charts or tables;
- From simplified expressions;
- By using appropriate software or numerical techniques.
Whatever the way, it shall be reminded, as said above, that the equivalent
orthotropic plate element with smeared stiffeners is explicitely exploited by
the design rules of EN 1993-1-5.
(2) The so-called buckling charts due to Klöppel et al ([3], [4] in section 4.4) EN 1993-1-5,
are surely the best known and the most widely spread amongst the A.1(2)
practitioners. Unfortunately, they contain only a small number of charts
established for smeared stiffeners. Moreover, the limits of the graphs make
them unpracticable in many situations encountered in practice. Last, the
torsional relative rigidity of the stiffeners is disregarded in the Klöppel
charts.
(3) For rectangular stiffened plate elements of length a and width b, such that
α = a b ≥ 0 ,5 , with at least three equally spaced longitudinal stiffeners, the
plate buckling coefficient k σ for global buckling of the equivalent
orthotropic plate may be approximated from the following expressions
deduced from the theory of orthotropic plates:

k =
((
2 1+ α 2 )
2
)
+ γ −1
if α≤4γ (11.1)
σ,p
α (ψ + 1)(1 + δ )
2

kσ , p =
(
4 1+ γ ) if α >4γ (11.2)
(ψ + 1)(1 + δ )
with:
σ2
ψ= ≥ 0 ,5 Extreme stress ratio across the width b;
σ1

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γ=
∑ Isl Relative flexural rigidity of the stiffeners;
Ip

δ=
∑ Asl Extensional relative rigidity of the stiffeners;
Ap

σ1 Larger edge stress;

σ2 Smaller edge stress;
∑ I sl Sum of the second moment of area of the whole stiffened plate;
Ip Second moment of area of the sole plating for bending out-of-plane
( )
( = bt 3 12 1 − υ 2 = bt 3 10,92 );

∑A sl Sum of the gross cross-sectional areas of the individual longitudinal

stiffeners (without adjacent parts of plating);
Ap Gross area of the plating ( = bt ).

It shall be noticed that this expression reduces to the exact one

k σ = (α + 1 α )2 when the plate is not longitudinally stiffened ( Asl = 0 and
γ =1 ) and is subjected to uniform compression ( ψ = 1 ).

NOTE A quite useful software, designated EBPlate, has been developed by

CTICM in the frame of a RFCS research contract, in which several of the
authors of the present document have been involved. This software provides
critical buckling stresses of rectangular plates with various boundary
conditions. It is designed such, that it is possible to suppress local plate
buckling; it deals not only with open section stiffeners but also with closed
section stiffeners. It will be soon available free of charge on the web site of
CTICM (www.cticim.com).

11.2 Case of one or two stiffeners

(1) The elastic critical plate buckling stress σcr.p may be computed based on the EN 1993-1-5,
column buckling stress σcr,sl of a stiffener strut on an elastic foundation. A.2

(2) The gross cross-sectional area of this strut is composed of: EN 1993-1-5,
A.2.1(2)
- The gross cross-sectional area Asl,1 of the stiffener;
- The cross-sectional area of adjacent parts of contributive plating
(3) The adjacent parts of the contributive plating are as follows (Figure 11.1):
- A proportion (3 − ψ ) (5 − ψ ) of the subpanel width b1 - where ψ is the
extreme stress ratio relative to the plating subpanel in consideration -
when the latter is fully in compression;
- A proportion 0 ,4 of the depth bc of the compression zone of the plating
subpanel when the direct stress in the latter changes from compression
to tension.

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Figure 11.1: Model when a single longitudinal stiffener in the

compression zone

(4) The equilibrium differential equation of a pin-ended strut having a length a ,

a flexural rigidity EIsl,1 and a cross sectional area Asl,1, lying on an elastic
foundation of rigidity kf and subjected to an axial force N writes:
d 4v d 2v
EI sl,1 +N + kf v = 0 (11.3)
dx 4 dx 2

where N is the axial compression force and v is the buckling deflection.

Choosing the latter as composed of m half sine waves of length a / m
(Figure 11.2), where m is an integer:
v = A sin (mπx / a ) (11.4)
so as to fulfil the end support conditions, leads to:
π 2 EI st ⎛⎜ kf a 4 ⎞
⎟
2
N cr = ⎜ m + ⎟ (11.5)
a2 ⎜ m 2 π 4 EI st ⎟
⎝ ⎠

This equation gives the critical load as a function of m, which depends on

the properties of both the stiffener and the elastic foundation.

X
b1 b2
X a B
Section XX

Figure 11.2: Compressed strut supported by an elastic foundation

The rigidity kf of the elastic foundation provided by the transverse bending

of the plating is given as the reciprocal of the transverse displacement of a
plating strip of thickness t , unit width and span ( b1 + b2 ) subjected to a unit
transverse line load considered as the reaction of the stiffener on the plating.
It amounts to:

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−1
⎡ b12 b22 ⎤ ( b1 + b2 )Et 3
kf = ⎢ ⎥ = (11.6)
⎢ 3( b + b )EI ⎥ 3 ,64 b12 b22
⎣⎢ 1 2 plating ⎦⎥

When there is no foundation or when the rigidity kf of the foundation is

small, m must be taken equal to 1. This means that the elastic foundation is
still sufficiently flexible to enable buckling without an intermediate
inflexion point. The critical load is:
π2EIst E t 3(b1 +b2 )a2
Ncr =
a2
+
35,92 b12 b22
(11.7)

By gradually increasing kf , one reaches a condition where N becomes

smaller for m = 2 than for m = 1; then the buckled stiffener has an
inflection point at the middle. Increasing kf furthermore leads to more half
waves ( m =3, 4, …) and ( m -1) intermediate inflexion points. Then, kf
being given, there is a length a which, for each value of the integer m larger
than 1, minimises the value of N ; it is drawn from the condition ∂N ∂m=0 .
The latter gives:

EI sl,1
a = mπ 4 (11.8)
kf

Replacing a by above expression in the expression of N leads to:

1,05 E
N cr ,min = 2 k f EI sl,1 = I sl ,1 t 3 ( b1 + b2 ) (11.9)
b1 b2

This minimum value is clearly a constant that is independent of m . It is

taken conservatively as the critical load when m >1, i.e when a > ac , where
ac is the value of a for m =1:

I sl,1 b12 b22

ac = 4,33 4 (11.10) EN 1993-1-5,
( b1 + b2 )t 3 A.2.2(1)

As a conclusion, it shall be distinguished between two cases: ac < a , where

there are indeed several half sine waves ( m >1 ) along the length a , and
ac > a , where the buckling length is forced to be equal to the length a and
m = 1 . In terms of critical stresses, one has:
1,05 E
If a > ac σ cr ,sl = I sl,1 t 3 ( b1 + b2 ) (11.11)
Ast b1 b2
EN 1993-1-5,
2 3 2 A.2.2(1)
π E I sl,1 E t ( b1 + b2 ) a
If a < ac σ cr ,sl = + (11.12)
Asl,1 a 2 35,92 Asl,1 b12 b22

(5) The above procedure, fully described for a single stiffener, can be extended EN 1993-1-5,
to the case of two longitudinal stiffeners in the compression zone as follows A.2.2(2)
(Figure 11.3). Each of these two stiffeners, considered separately, is
supposed to buckle while the other one is assumed to be a rigid support; the
procedure for one stiffener in the compression zone is thus applied twice

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with appropriate values of section properties and distances b1 and b2 ,

designated here b1* and b2* ; this results in two values of the elastic critical
buckling stress designated respectively σcr,sl,I and σcr,sl,II .

Figure 11.3: Model with two longitudinal stiffeners in the

compression zone

Then, as a conservative approach, a fictitious lumped stiffener is substituted

for the two individual stiffeners. It is such that:
- Its section properties (cross-sectional area and second moment of area)
are the sum of the properties of the individual stiffeners;
- Its location is the point of application of the stress resultant of the
respective forces in the individual stiffeners;
That results in a third value of the elastic critical buckling stress,
designated.σcr,sl,I+II.
The use of lumped stiffeners frequently gives over-conservative results (see
for instance the worked example in section 17 of the present document). The
use of appropriate software, such as EBPlate (see section 11.1), can be used
to overcome the problem.
(6) For consistency with the fibre used as reference for σ cr .p , which is the edge EN 1993-1-5,
with the highest compressive stress, the stress σ cr .sl , which refers to the §4.5.3(3)
location of the stiffener in consideration, needs to be extrapolated up to the
same edge according to:
b
σ cr .p = σ cr .sl c (11.13)
b

where bc is the depth of the compression zone and b the location of the
above stiffener measured from the fibre where the direct stress vanishes.
This fibre is the neutral axis when the girder is subjected to bending only.
(7) In the case of a single longitudinal stiffener in the compression zone, this
formula applies directly with b = b c (see Figure 11.1). In the case of two
longitudinal stiffeners in this zone, three values σcr,sl,i (i = I, II, I+II) are

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calculated based on the following pairs of values: σcr,sl,I and, b = bI , σcr,sl,II.

and b = bII , σcr,sl,I+II and b = bI + II (see Figure 11.3); the lowest one is kept.

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