Free flexural vibration of thin stiffened plates using NURBS-Augmented finite element method

The geometry and the orientation of stiffener portray a crucial act in the analyses of stiffened plates. The authors have recently studied the response of bare plates under bending and buckling using a new method [1,2] known as the NURBS-Augmented finite element method (NAFEM). In the present work, this NAFEM is extended for investigating the response of plates with stiffeners subjected to free vibration. In its formulation, the numerical model has been made such that the straight and curved stiffeners can be placed arbitrarily with any disposition and need not be in line with the mesh grids. The stiffener's stiffness matrix is expressed in terms of plate stiffness matrix, thus eliminating the requirement to model the stiffener separately as a beam element.

Automated summary

The geometry and orientation of stiffener play a crucial role in the analyses of stiffened plates. The NURBS-Augmented finite element method (NAFEM) has been extended to investigate the response of plates with stiffeners subjected to free vibration. The stiffener's stiffness matrix is expressed in terms of plate stiffness matrix, eliminating the need to model the stiffener separately as a beam element.