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An experimental study is presented on the non-linear twisting of plates with free edges, through the application of self-equilibrating corner loads. A simple apparatus was designed and various sizes of plates were twisted while measuring the surface strains on both sides at the centre. Initial difficulty was encountered due to unwanted deflection of the plate under its own weight. The Rayleigh-Ritz method is used to determine an analytical relationship between midsurface strains and curvatures in the pre- and post-bifurcation regions of twisting. In both the experimental and analytical results, the midsurface strains are found to vary linearly with the Gaussian curvature. Non-dimensional groups are identified which collapse the experimental load-strain, load-curvature and midsurface strain-Gaussian curvature relationships. These non-dimensional groups collapse the results in both the linear and non-linear regions. The curvature at the point of bifurcation is identified as a function of plate dimensional parameters. Also shown are the expressions for critical surface strain and corner load at which bifurcation occurs. The experimental load-curvature relationship and point of bifurcation are compared with analytical results found in the literature. A large discrepancy in the literature is resolved for the theoretical point of bifurcation. The present results form a basis for verification of future analytical results, and are important in the measurement of constitutive relationships using the twisted plate test. / Applied Science, Faculty of / Mechanical Engineering, Department of / Graduate

Thesis (MScEng (Civil Engineering))--University of Stellenbosch, 2009.