Plate Thickness

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#1

Hi,

I’ve been trying to work out a means of calculating the required thickness for a composite plate (approx. 50% Fibre Volume Fraction) for a specified load L. My difficulty here is that under the plate are stiffener beams (also composite), in reality these beams are what take the applied load - the “plate” is simply spanning over them. What criteria should I use when deciding what thickness to make my top plate? It must be of sufficient strength to avoid puncture, and I would assume that its stiffness must match that of the beams beneath it?

#2

Needs a full engineering analysis if you want an exact answer.

For example, in a floor if you want to make the floor panels carry load then it must be transferred into the floor beams properly, etc. Plus the panels must be sized for abuse loads (fat women in high heels, etc.).

There’s enough going on here that you need to look at the whole structure for your analysis.

#3

Yeah I presumed so. The beam dimensions have been calculated to safely take the required loading conditions, what I am trying to get my head around is how much material I need to put in the surface plate though. Is there a rule of thumb for plate thickness Versus deflection/puncture?