Abstract
The snapping of a shallow, simply supported sinusoidal arch subject to a sinusoidally distributed step pressure load is studied over a range of arch geometries. Critical pressure loads are determined by numerical integration of the equations of motion and by an infinitesimal stability analysis. The results of the two methods are compared and the sources of disagreement discussed. The study reveals two distinct mechanisms of initiation of the snapping process. These mechanisms, which are referred to as direct snapping and indirect (or parametrically induced) snapping, respectively, control the phenomenon for particular ranges of the arch geometry.
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