NONDIMENSIONAL PARAMETERS AND EQUATIONS FOR BUCKLING OF ANISOTROPIC SHALLOW SHELLS

A procedure for deriving nondimensional parameters and equations for b ifurcation buckling of anisotropic shallow shells subjected to combine d loads is presented. First, The Donnell-Mushtari-Vlasov equations gov erning Buckling of symmetrically laminated doubly curved thin elastic shallow shells are presented. Then, the rationale used to perform the nondimensionalization of the buckling equations is presented, and fund amental parameters are identified that represent measures of the shell orthotropy and anisotropy. In addition, nondimensional curvature para meters are identified that are analogues of the well-known Batdorf Z p arameter for isotropic shells, and analogues of Dunnell's and Bardorf' s shell buckling equations are presented. Selected results are present ed for shear buckling of balanced symmetric laminated shells that illu strate the usefulness of the nondimensional parameters.