EFFECTS OF OPENINGS OF THE BUCKLING OF CYLINDRICAL-SHELLS SUBJECTED TO AXIAL-COMPRESSION

Experimental and numerical methods are used to study the stability pro blem of cylindrical shells with cut-outs. The paper presents parametri c research of the shape (square, rectangular, circular), the dimension s (axial and circumferential sizes, diameter) of the hole. The effect of the location and the number of the holes are also studied. The anal ysis indicates that the critical load is sensitive to the opening angl e or circumferential size of the hole. The function (critical load-ope ning angle) is linear for large openings and independent of the geomet rical imperfections of the shell. However for small openings, it is ne cessary to take into account the coupling between the initial geometri cal imperfections and the openings. The linear approach does not fit b ecause of the importance of the evolution of the displacements near th e openings. These results will be used for the development of European rules. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.