In the present study, the elasto-plastic analysis of prismatic plate structures subjected to pure bending is carried out using the finite strip method. The end cross-sections of the structure are assumed to remain plane during deformation, and the compatibility along corner lines is ensured by choosing proper displacement functions. The effects of both the initial geometrical imperfections and residual stresses due to fabrication are included in the combined geometrically and materially nonlinear simulation. The von-Mises yield criterion and the Prandtl-Reuss flow theory of plasticity are applied in modelling the elasto-plastic behavior of material. Newton-Raphson iterations are carried out as the rotation of the end cross sections of the structure is increased step by step. The parameter representing the overall axial strain of structure is adjusted constantly during the iteration process in order to eliminate the resulting overall axial force on any cross-section of the structure in correspondence with the assumption of zero axial force in pure bending. Several numerical examples are presented to validate the present method and to investigate the effects of some material and geometrical parameters.