Inelastic shell instability of thin-walled circular cylinders under external hydrostatic pressure

This paper reports on experimental work carried out on nine thin-walled cir cular cylinders which were tested to destruction under external hydrostatic pressure. Seven of the cylinders failed through non-symmetric bifurcation buckling and two failed through axisymmetric collapse. The results were use d from these tests, together with the results from other experiments, to pr oduce a design chart which could be used for designing against the occurenc e of elastic and inelastic shell instability. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd . All rights reserved.