Energy Methods for Shells

Abstract

In structural mechanics three energy principles are used Minimum Potential Energy, Minimum Complementary Energy, and Reissner’s Variational Theorem. The first two are discussed at length in Sokolnikoff [10.1] and many other references. The Reissner Variational Theorem, likewise, is widely referenced. In solid mechanics, Minimum Complementary Energy is rarely used, because often it requires assuming continuous functions for all stresses which satisfy the boundary conditions, are continuous and satisfy equilibrium. It is usually far easier to make a guess at the displacement functions which must be continuous and satisfy the boundary conditions. These displacement functions are needed to utilize the Theorem of Minimum Potential Energy.