OPTIMAL-DESIGN OF AXISYMMETRICAL PLASTIC SHALLOW SHELLS OF VON MISES MATERIAL

An optimal design technique developed earlier for axisymmetric plates and circular cylindrical shells is accommodated for shallow spherical shells subjected to uniform transverse pressure. Material of the shell s is assumed to be rigid-plastic obeying the von Mises yield condition and the associated deformation law. The post-yield behaviour of the s hells is taken into account, The weight minimization is performed unde r the condition that the maximal deflection of the shell of variable t hickness coincides with the deflection of the reference shell of const ant thickness, The problem is transformed into a non-linear boundary v alue problem which is solved numerically.