Hydrostatic buckling of shells with various boundary conditions

Eigenvalue buckling of cylindrical shells with various boundary conditions under hydrostatic load is examined, using an energy method. Results are com pared to known solutions, where these solutions exist. It is found that, fo r shells of intermediate length, buckling loads for different end condition s may be determined by applying a simple, scalar multiplier to the pin-ende d case. This does not apply to long shells, where: the circumferential wave number n less than or equal to 3. For n = 2, the ring equation may be appl ied to all cases, as the boundary conditions no longer influence the soluti on. It is seen for the case of a shell with one end pinned and the other en d free that the buckling solution collapses to the long shell solution, for geometries of practical interest, The effect of radial elastic restraint a t the open end is also examined, as an intermediate case between pinned and free ends. The work has application to the design of suction caissons, whe re cylinder dimensions are usually in the range of intermediate length shel ls. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.