The elastic behaviour of thin cylindrical shells.

This thesis is concerned with the study of the behaviour of thin cylindrical.shells. Besides their many technical uses, cylindrical shells are relatively easy to analyse mathematically, because of their simple geometry; at the same time they exhibit nearly all types of behaviour that one also finds in more complicated shell systems; thus they make . a good introduction to the study of shells. The object is to obtain a basic understanding of the way cylindrical shells carry their loads. Once this understanding is achieved, realistic simplification of the real problem is possible, allowing the setting up of mathematical model's. One way of doing this is to observe how a shell deforms through laboratory models. Cylindrical shells have been extensively investigated mathematically .during recent years. The purpose of this thesis is to present the basic elements of shell theory in a simple manner which conforms with- modern ideas, of structural analysis, and also to study shell behaviour through some simple experimental tests and measurements and numerical calculations. It is believed that, at present, more insight into actual behaviour of structures can be obtained through this approach than through complex mathematical analysis. The basic mathematical information required for a solution to a shell problem can be conveniently classified into three basic sets of data; the equations of statics, the equations of geometry and the load-deformation relations. These data are developed in Chapter I from basic elementary principles of statics, geometry,and material properties.