Based on the concept of equivalent solid plate, this paper deals with thick perforated plates with triangular or square patterns of holes reinforced by tubes. The results obtained show that the tubes connected (by welding or expanding) to the perforated plates lead to a noticeable stiffening effect which is neglected or considerably underestimated by current design codes. The stresses of tubesheets calculated based on the effective elastic constants given by this method are in better agreement with the experimental results than those based on the effective elastic constants given by current codes.

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