Chapter 10 - Complicating Effects

Abstract

This chapter discusses the complexities of the treatment of laminated thin and thick shells. General shell shapes and geometries can be more complicated. In most cases, a doubly curved shell element with constant curvature is used.Such an element makes the curvature of the shells discrete and not continuous. Thus, for shells with variable curvature, like conical and noncircular cylindrical shells, a fine mesh must be used to simulate the actual curvature of the shell. The analytical treatment of some of these general shaped shells is possible but may be mathematically demanding, especially for laminated composite structures. As has been seen for the treatment of barrel, noncircular cylindrical, conical and spherical shells, such treatment will require going back to the fundamental shell equations and specializing them to the particular geometry at hand. In addition to the complexity of curvature, many other complexities can exist in the treatment of laminated shell structures. Some of these complexities are initial loading, dynamic loading, thermal stresses, rotating shells, stiffened shells, imperfect shells, piezoelectric shells, damped and viscoelastic shells and shells imbedded in (or filled with) elastic or fluid media. Also, shells on elastic supports and/or foundations, or with variable thickness, or with cut-outs constitute other dimensions of complexities that shells may have. More than one complexity can exist in the treatment of some shell problems.