Bending of Rectangular Plates Subjected to a Uniformly Distributed Lateral Load and to Tensile or Compressive Forces in the Plane of the Plate

This paper presents a method of determining the distribution of deflection and stress in simply supported rectangular plates subjected simultaneously to a uniform lateral load and to uniform tensile or compressive forces in the plane of the plate. The problems are of particular importance in the design of a ship’s bottom plating and, for this reason, graphs are given whereby the maximum stress and deflection may easily be calculated. Illustrative examples are included to demonstrate the use of these graphs. An example is also given to illustrate how the method may be extended to include the case of hydrostatic pressure.