FINITE STRIP VIBRATION ANALYSIS OF COMPOSITE PRISMATIC SHELL STRUCTURES WITH DIAPHRAGM ENDS

The finite strip method is developed for the free vibration analysis o f prismatic shell structures having diaphragm end supports. In general the structure is made up of rigidly-connected, circularly-curved and flat plates which are composite laminates with a broad range of materi al properties, including bending-stretching coupling and anisotropy. T he analysis is developed in two ways, based in turn on the use of firs t-order shear deformation shell theory and of thin shell theory. The f inite strip approach is of the multi-term type and the superstrip conc ept is employed to produce a powerful and efficient solution capabilit y. Results, in the form of calculated natural frequencies, are present ed for a number of problems for which accurate alternative solutions e xist, and close comparison of results verifies the present approach.