254 6 Design of Stiffened Panel

6.1 Grillage Structure

Figure 6.1.1 shows a stiffened panel with length of longer edge a, shorter edge b
and uniform load p. It is common sense for the girders to be arranged in the
direction of the shorter span as the girders in the longer span are not so effective.
Here common sense is proved quantitatively.
As the results for fixed-boundary conditions and for simply supported conditions
are similar hereafter, the simply-supported boundary condition is to be applied [1].
The maximum stress σy is generated at the midpoint O in Fig. 6.1.1 and the stress
σy and the deflection δ are as follows:

σy = π 2δ Eey
2
b
δ abp
6
= π E Ix(m + 1) Iy(n + 1) (6.1.1)
+
3 3
16 a b
where δ : deflection at point O.
Applying the following notations, maximum stress σy is described below.
Ix and Iy are sectional moment of inertia with effective
breadths m and n are numbers of girders
ex and ey are distances from center of gravity of section to face plates
spaces of girders lx = b/(m + 1) and ly = a/(n + 1) rigidity ratio per unit
breadth ix = Ix/lx and iy = Iy/ly
rigidity ratio in longer and shorter edge directions (mutually-supporting ratio)
α = ix/iy
2
16b ply
σy =
4
Iy b
π4 1+α
4
ey a
Considering σy as the allowable stress, the required section modulus Zy is given
by the following equations.
Fig. 6.1.1 Grillage structure
6.1 Grillage Structure 255
I
y
Zy =
ey
2
16b ply
=
4

π σy
4
1+α 4

Putting weight per unit area of grillage structure as W1, and weights per unit
length of girders in longer and shorter directions as Wx and Wy respectively, the
following relation is obtained.
W
x Wy
W1 = +
lx ly
Usually the same scantling girders are to be applied for X and Y directions in a
mutually-supported grillage structure. Applying this principle the following results
are obtained.

Ix = Iy Zx = Zy Wx = Wy
ix Ixly ly
α = = =
iy lxIy lx
In Sect. 1.8, Optimum Design of Beam Section, the relation between the
section modulus of a beam and its weight per unit length is explained. This
principle can be applied to girders assuming the web thickness is 12 mm. The
result is shown in Eq. (6.1.7).

Wy = 1.5 Zy

where
Wy : weight per unit length of girder in kgf/m
3
Zy : section modulus of girder in cm
Putting Eqs. (6.1.7) and (6.1.3) into (6.1.4) and with the conditions described
by (6.1.5) and (6.1.6), the weight per unit area W1 of girders is given by the
following equation.
2
1.5 16b ply 1+α
l 4 4
W1 = y π σy · b
4
1+α a
Where a grillage (mutually-supported) arrangement is not applied, a girder ar-
rangement in one direction is usually applied. In this case the weight per unit area
W0 is obtained by putting α = 0 in Eq. (6.1.8). The weight ratio W1/W0 of the
mutually-supported and the one-direction girder arrangement is given as follows:
W
1 1+α

=
4
W0 b
4
1+α a
256 6 Design of Stiffened Panel

Fig. 6.1.2 Weight increase due to mutually-supported arrangement

The relation of Eq. (6.1.9) is shown in Fig. 6.1.2 with α along the horizontal
axis and b/a as a parameter. It can be seen that the smaller b/a, which means a
slender rectangular, and bigger α , mutually-supporting ratio, will bring a bigger
weight difference. It is important to note that the ratio W1/W0 is always bigger
than 1.0 which means the mutually-supported arrangement is always heavier than
the one-direction girder arrangement. This result is in agreement with the
designer’s common sense.
The stress σy at the point O in Fig. 6.1.1 in the shorter edge direction is
expressed by Eq. (6.1.1) and the stress σx at the same point O in the longer edge
direction is expressed by the following equations:

σ =
π δ Eex
2

x a2
σx = b2ex
2
σy a ey
σx/σy is proportional to the square of b/a which means for a slender panel, σx
is very much smaller than σy and the mutually-supported condition will disappear.
Even in the case of a square panel the one-direction arrangement is better than the
mutually-supported arrangement because the weight ratio between two girders
with section modulus Zy and one girder with section modulus 2Zy is:

2 × 1.5 Zy/1.5 2Zy = 1.41.

And in Fig. 6.1.2, W1/W0 = 1.41 for b/a = 1.0 and α = 1.0 is the same story. Regarding
the minimum weight of grillage structure, Yagi and Yasukawa’s study
is famous [20], and Kitamura’s study as a non-linear programming method is also
useful [21].
6.2 Optimum Space of Girders 257

6.2 Optimum Space of Girders

As shown in Fig. 6.2.1 it is usual for a panel to be stiffened by beams parallel to

the longer edge which are supported by girders parallel to the shorter edge.
Assum-ing that the girders are fixed at both ends, the maximum stress in the girder
σy is expressed as follows.

M (6.2.1)
σy =
Zy
The maximum stress in the beam σs is as follows:
M (6.2.2)
σs =
Z
s
where Zy and Zs: section modulus with effective breadth

p: uniform load and Zs

Considering σy and σs as allowable stresses, the required section modulus
Zy are given by the following equations:
2 (6.2.3)
plb
Zy =
12σy
2 (6.2.4)
psl
Zs =
12σs
Applying Eq. (6.1.7) to the girder and beam then the weight per unit area of
beam and girder W2 is derived as follows:

Ws Wy
W2 = +
s l

2 2
1.5 psl 1.5 plb
= s 12σs + l 12σy
where Ws and Wy: weight per unit length of beam and girder respectively
Fig. 6.2.1 One direction girder arrangement
258 6 Design of Stiffened Panel

Fig. 6.2.2 Optimum girder space

Assuming the allowable stresses for the girder and beam are equal, the
optimum girder space l is obtained as below putting dW2/dl = 0.
2 1 2 1 2
−
l=2 3 ·s3 ·b3 = 0.63s 3 ·b3
In the case of a girder with both ends supported, the following relation is
2
obtained because σy = plb /8Zy.
1
3 3 1 2 1 2

l= 2 s3 · b 3 = 0.72s 3 ·b3
The optimum girder spaces obtained by Eqs. (6.2.6) and (6.2.7) are shown in
Fig. 6.2.2. It shows that for a girder with a longer span, a wider space is
preferable. It is recommended to study the weight changing ratio using Eq. (6.2.5)
together with Fig. 6.2.2 because in the case where the weight changing ratio at the
optimum point is small a wider space than optimum point will be decided.

6.3 Optimum Space of Beams

Stiffened plates around the stern and machinery room are to be designed not only
from the strength viewpoint but also from the vibration viewpoint. Accordingly
the presentation below will be done from both viewpoints.

6.3.1 Design Condition Against Lateral Load like Water Pressure

As shown in Fig. 6.2.1 in a one-direction girder arrangement, the plate thickness

and the section modulus of the beams are given by Nippon Kaiji Kyokai (NK)
rules for water tight bulkheads as follows:
6.3 Optimum Space of Beams 259

√
t = 3.6s h + 3.5 (mm) (6.3.1)
2 3
Z = 7shl (cm ) (6.3.2)
where
s: beam space
l: span of beam
h: water pressure head on beam and plate

6.3.2 Design Conditions from Vibration Viewpoint

(1) Plate thickness: The stiffened plate vibrates heavily usually in the case of
contact with water. The natural frequency of the panel of size l ×s and thickness t,
as shown in Fig. 6.2.1 with the boundary supported condition, is as follows:
t s 2

2 2
Np = α · 1.46 × 10 s 1+ l (
where
t : plate thickness in mm l : span of beam in m
s : space of beam in m
α is the coefficient of frequency reduction by contact with water and usually it
is about 0.3–0.5 for hull structures. Here it is assumed that α = 0.3 to be on the
2
safety side, and (s/l) is negligibly small in comparison with 1.0, because usually
s/l is about 1/4. Then the following simplified relation can be obtained.
t

2 2
Np = 0.3 × 1.46 × 10 × s (cpm)
On the other hand the frequency of the exciting force on the stiffened panel is
usually lower than 1000 cpm, therefore to avoid resonance with the exciting fre-
quency Np ≥ 1000 condition will be applied. Accordingly the following relation is
obtained:
1, 000
2 2
t= s = 22.8s
43.8
(2) Scantling of beams: Considering a stiffened plate l × b surrounded by gird-
ers and boundaries in a boundary supported condition, the natural frequency of the
stiffened panel is nearly equal to the natural frequency Ns of a beam being cut out
from the stiffened panel. This is expressed by the following equation:

4, 830 IS
Ns = (cpm)
2
l A
where
A = AS + AP + AW