IMPERFECT SPHERICAL CAP WITH STIFFENING RING SUBJECTED TO EXTERNAL PRESSURE

摘要

The aim of this paper is to perform a detail numerical analysis of both perfect and imperfect spherical caps subjected to an external pressure. The problem is limited to a case of the simply supported imperfect spherical cap stiffened with the circumferential ring at its edge. Both the central and lateral initial imperfection is considered. The main task is to find the reduction factor a depending on the thickness parameter R/t. In addition to a theoretical description of this special stability problem, the results serve for a preparation of future experiments with real steel specimens. The finite element geometrically nonlinear computational analyses are performed by means of the computer program COSMOS/M.