This study seeks to grasp the effects of the initial deflection shape on the plastic accumulation characteristics of hull plates with circular holes under cyclic loading.

Finite element software ABAQUS is used to carry out the nonlinear elastic-plastic large deflection numerical simulation of hull plates with circular holes of different slenderness ratios and perforation sizes under axial cyclic loading. The plastic accumulation and fracture characteristics of the plates under axial cyclic loading are studied with the initial deflection shape made by the first-order buckling mode and commonly used initial deflection formula respectively.

The plastic accumulation of plates with the initial deflection shape made by the initial deflection formula is relatively moderate. When the axial cyclic loading amplitude is relatively low, the number of fracturing cycles of plates with the initial deflection shape made by the first-order buckling mode is relatively small, but the difference decreases as the amplitude increases.

The influence of different initial deflection shapes on the plastic accumulation and fracture characteristics of plates with circular holes depends on the slenderness coefficient, perforation size and axial cyclic loading amplitude.