On the nonlinear analysis of shells with eigenmode-affine imperfections

摘要

Existing stability design rules for thin shell structures are generally concerned only with simple geometries and simple/uniform loading ocnditions.For more ocmplex situations,nonlinear finite element analysis provides a powerful tool for assessing the buckling strength strength of shells.Since shells are generally sensitive to initial geometric imperfections, a reliable prediction of their buckling strength is possible only if the effect of geometric imperfections is accurately accounted for.A commonly adopted approach is to assume that the imperfection is in the form of the bifurcation buckling mode (eigenmode-affine imperfection) of a suitable magnitude.This paper discusses a number of issues in the nonlinear analysis of shells with eigenmode-affine imperfections.