Plastic collapse of circular conical shells under uniform external pressure

The article reports on two theoretical investigations and an experimental i nvestigation into the collapse of six circular conical shells under uniform external pressure. Four of the vessels collapsed through plastic non-symme tric bifurcation budding and one vessel collapsed through plastic axisymmet ric buckling. A sixth vessel failed in a mixed mode of plastic non-symmetri c bifurcation buckling, combined with plastic axisymmetric buckling. The th eoretical and experimental investigations appeared to indicate that there w as a link between plastic nonsymmetric bifurcation buckling and plastic axi symmetric buckling. The theoretical investigations were via the finite elem ent method and were used to provide a design chart for these vessels. (C) 1 999 Elsevier Science Ltd and Civil-Comp Ltd. All rights reserved.