Optimization-free design of stiffened thin-walled structures guided by data-rich buckling modes

Regarding the buckling resistance design of thin-walled structures, the conventional iterative optimization approaches pose significant challenges for engineering professionals and create a high barrier for structural designers. This study introduces a novel approach for the anti-buckling design of stiffening ribs, which is based on the solved linear buckling modes rather than on the buckling load factors (BLFs) as in traditional iterative optimization methods. Specifically, the design process begins with a linear buckling analysis of the pre-stiffened part to extract the first-order eigenmode shape. Subsequently, normal vectors are calculated for both the pre-buckling geometric model and the buckled mode shape. By analyzing the normal deflection angle, a group of characteristic points is identified, and these points would be used to serve as guidelines for determining the layout of the stiffening ribs. We validate the effectiveness and efficiency of the proposed protocol through numerical examples spanning from 2D to 3D space considering different loading conditions. Our approach eliminates the need for tedious parametric modeling and high computational cost associated with conventional optimization-based methods. It is particularly well-suited for engineering applications that solely require linear buckling analysis.