Axially Loaded Aluminium Panels

Experiments are carried out to study the buckling of longitudinally stiffened aluminium panels subject to axial load. The test panels are built up with extruded aluminium sections connected by welding. Panels with closed trapezoidal stiffeners and panels with open stiffeners of either L-section or flat section are investigated, in aluminium alloy EN AW-6082 temper T6. The tests are performed using a specially designed test rig, which allows testing of single panels with simply supported ends combinedwith either free or simply supported longitudinal edges. The observed buckling modes are overall flexural buckling of the panels, and stiffener induced collapse for the panels with open stiffeners. Comparison between experimental ultimate loads and capacities predicted from the design procedures in Eurocode 9 “Design of Aluminium Structures” shows that the design rules in general give conservative results.