A method for load location identification of impact load on stiffened plate based on cosine similarity and surface fitting

Offshore platforms endure complex dynamic loads, among which helicopter landing impact is a critical design case. Owing to harsh sea conditions, landing descent speeds exceed those on land, making accurate load data essential for structural safety and optimization. Such impact loads, however, are rarely measurable directly. An alternative is to measure structural responses and identify the load information via load identification methods. This study proposes a time-domain method for locating tire impact loads on stiffened plates, combining cosine similarity with surface fitting. The proposed method is validated through numerical simulations for a stiffened plate that is usually used in the areas of ships and offshore structures: https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.32963426.