Elasto-Plastic Analysis of Prismatic Folded Plates by the Finite Element Method

Folded plate structures are used for roofing large column-free areas for auditoriums, supermarkets, gymnasiums, hangars for aircraft, and other similar applications. The loads on these structures could cause stresses to go beyond the elastic range. Therefore, a thorough understanding of their elasto-plastic behavior is of utmost importance in designing these structures. An attempt is made to study the elasto-plastic behavior of prismatic metal folded plates by the finite element method using the commercial software, ANSYS. The method is first validated by analyzing typical plates and shells, and comparing them with available solutions in the literature. The elasto-plastic behavior of some prismatic folded plates is then studied, and their force-deflection responses and evolution of plastic zones are evaluated.