EFFICIENT HIGHER-ORDER SHELL THEORY FOR LAMINATED COMPOSITES

An efficient higher-order shell theory is obtained for symmetric lamin ated composites. The in-plane displacement fields are obtained by supe rimposing a globally cubic varying displacement field on a zig-zag lin early varying one. For an orthogonal curvilinear coordinate system, eq uilibrium equations and boundary conditions are derived using lines of curvature coordinates. Cylindrical shell equations are obtained from the general equilibrium equations. To evaluate the present shell model ing, the analytical solution for a cylindrical bending problem is obta ined. The present shell theory gives deformation and stresses which ar e in good agreement with those of exact elasticity solutions.