Presenting recent principles of thin plate and shell theories, this book emphasizes novel analytical and numerical methods for solving linear and nonlinear plate and shell dilemmas, new theories for the design and analysis of thin plate-shell structures, and real-world numerical solutions, mechanics, and plate and shell models for engineering appli

Linear Elastic Theory of Thin Shells presents membrane and bending theories for open and closed cylindrical shells and shells of arbitrary shape. This book aims to develop the analysis through membrane theory to bending theory for shells and to limit the type of mathematics used. Organized into eight chapters, this book begins with an overview of the solid material enclosed between two closely spaced doubly curved surfaces. This text then examines the five stress resultants for closed cylindrical shell. Other chapters consider the theoretical stresses that are closely related to the actual stresses determined experimentally in practice. This book discusses as well the numerical analysis of more complicated shell structures. The final chapter deals with the correlation between experimental and theoretical stresses in shells. This book is intended to be suitable for final year engineering and post-graduate students. Design and consulting engineers will also find this book extremely useful.

Presenting recent principles of thin plate and shell theories, this book emphasizes novel analytical and numerical methods for solving linear and nonlinear plate and shell dilemmas, new theories for the design and analysis of thin plate-shell structures, and real-world numerical solutions, mechanics, and plate and shell models for engineering applications. It includes computer processes for finite difference, finite element, boundary element, and boundary collocation methods as well as other variational and numerical methods. It also contains end-of-chapter examples and problem/solution sets, a catalog of solutions for cylindrical and spherical shells, and tables of the most commonly used plates and shells.

Plate and shell theories experienced a renaissance in recent years. The potentials of smart materials, the challenges of adaptive structures, the demands of thin-film technologies and more on the one hand and the availability of newly developed mathematical tools, the tremendous increase in computer facilities and the improvement of commercial software packages on the other caused a reanimation of the scientific interest. In the present book the contributions of the participants of the EUROMECH Colloquium 444 "Critical Review of the Theories of Plates and Shells and New Applications" have been collected. The aim was to discuss the common roots of different plate and shell approaches, to review the current state of the art, and to develop future lines of research. Contributions were written by scientists with civil and mechanical engineering as well as mathematical and physical background.