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Buckling of elastic cylindrical shells considering
the eect of localized axisymmetric
imperfections
A. Khamlichi
a,
, M. Bezzazi
b
, A. Limam
c
a
Testing Department, Plastex Maroc SA, BP 342 Zone Industrielle, Tangier 90000, Morocco
b
LGCMS, De partement de Physique, FSTT, BP 416, Tangier 90000, Morocco
c
URGC-Structures, INSA de Lyon, 20 Ave Albert Einstein, 69 621 Villeurbanne, France
Received 2 May 2003; received in revised form 17 February 2004; accepted 17 February 2004
Abstract
The eect of localized axisymmetric initial imperfections on the critical load of elastic cyl-
indrical shells subjected to axial compression is studied through analytical modeling. Some
classical results regarding sensitivity of shell buckling strength with respect to distributed
defects having axisymmetric or asymmetric forms are recalled. Special emphasis is placed
after that on the more severe case of localized defects satisfying axial symmetry by display-
ing an analytical solution to the Von KarmanDonnell shell equations under specic bound-
ary conditions. The obtained results show that the critical load varies very much with the
geometrical parameters of the localized defect. These variations are not monotonic in gen-
eral. They indicate, however, a clear reduction of the shell critical load for some defects
recognized as the most hazardous isolated ones. Reduction of the critical load is found to
reach a level which is up to two times lower than that predicted by general distributed
defects.
# 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Keywords: Stability; Buckling; Imperfections; Shells; Silos; Localized defects
1. Introduction
Thin cylindrical shells, like silos and tanks, continue to be the subject of inten-
sive investigation eorts among researchers. The pursued objectives include the
nn
1
cos
mpx
L
_ _
5
ww
nn
1
cos
mpx
L
_ _
nn
2
sin
kpx
L
_ _
cos
ny
R
_ _
6
where
nn
1
,
nn
2
are the defect generalized amplitudes, it is possible to simplify the
original dierential system and to search for a solution by simply locating the roots
of a polynomial function of degree three.
In the following, we proceed by recalling the buckling load for a perfect shell.
Then, the particular distributed imperfections having the axisymmetric form (5) or
the asymmetric form (6) are introduced, as was rst performed by Arbocz [5].
Finally, a localized defect having the form
ww a
0
x 7
is considered. In this last case, when the function a
0
is parabolic over a narrow
strip localized on the shell surface, we demonstrate that an analytical solution
exists for the system of Eqs. (1)(3) and (7).
3. Small deection theory for a perfect shell
If the solution of Eqs. (1) and (2) satisfying boundary conditions (3) is assumed
to be of the form
wx; y Wsin
mpx
L
_ _
sin
ny
R
_ _
8
where m and n are integers, then one could easily obtain the critical load k
c
(called
1039 A. Khamlichi et al. / Thin-Walled Structures 42 (2004) 10351047
the classical critical load) as
k
c
r
c
x
Eh
Rc
9
where c
31 t
2
_
. When the shell data are, for example, R 0:1016 m,
L 0:2032 m, h 1:179 10
-4
m, E 1:048 10
11
Pa, and t 0:3, one nds
that k
c
7:36 10
7
Pa.
The previous data ensure that buckling occurs in the elastic domain. The
obtained critical load is associated to a set of buckling modes, as shown in Fig. 2.
Particular buckling modes are given, for example, by: (m 2, n 26), (m 3,
n 30), (m 5, n 40). This is a feature of the Von KarmanDonnell model,
which does not allow selection of buckling modes in case of a perfect shell. In con-
stant use of rened shell theories like those of Flu gge or Koiter results in a unique
buckling mode, which is, in the present case, the mode (m 2, n 26). This is not,
however, an authentic drawback of the Von KarmanDonnell model, since the real
problem in using Eq. (9) is that the results obtained are always in complete dis-
agreement with the buckling loads determined from experiments such as those due,
for example, to Lundquist [11] and Weingarten et al. [12].
4. Eect of distributed axisymmetric imperfections
These kinds of defects are essentially due to the manufacturing processes of the
cylindrical shells. Their simplest representation is a sinusoidal axial wave having
the form given by relation (5) with m an even integer. The solution is assumed to
admit the form
w n
1
sin
mpx
2L
_ _
cos
ny
R
_ _
10
Fig. 2. Perfect buckling modes corresponding to the classical buckling load.
A. Khamlichi et al. / Thin-Walled Structures 42 (2004) 10351047 1040
and the critical load k as a function of the defect magnitude
nn
1
, and m is calculated
by means of a numerical program. For this purpose, a minimisation with respect to
the number of circumferential half waves n is performed for any given shell para-
meters.
When the shell data are the same as those previously used for a perfect shell, one
nds the buckling loads and modes shown in Figs. 3 and 4.
5. Eect of distributed asymmetric imperfections
An asymmetric defect having the form given by Eq. (6), with k m=2 and m an
even integer, has the same axisymmetric component as the defect dened by
relation (5). This is an interesting defect since it describes some of the post-buckled
Fig. 3. Reduced buckling load (axisymmetric distributed defects).
Fig. 4. Buckling modes (axisymmetric distributed defects).
1041 A. Khamlichi et al. / Thin-Walled Structures 42 (2004) 10351047
shapes obtained during experimentation. If the pre-buckling solution is assumed to
be of the form
w n
0
n
1
cos
mpx
L
_ _
n
2
sin
kpx
L
_ _
cos
ny
R
_ _
;
F
Eh
2
k
2cR
y
2
f
0
x 11
Arbocz [5] had shown that the solution must satisfy a system of two polynomial
equations of unknowns n
1
and n
2
. By xing the value of n
2
, the solution can be
considered in the plane (k, n
1
). This simplies the previous system to a single poly-
nomial equation of degree three. The critical load k is the positive minimum
obtained from the three roots corresponding to the previous equation. Now repre-
senting k versus n
2
enables location of the critical load, which is given by the rst
reached maximum k
d
(limit point) of this last curve when it exists.
A numerical program was written in order to automatically compute the critical
load by performing (i) a minimisation with respect to n in order to evaluate the
number of circumferential half waves xing the buckling mode and (ii) a second
minimisation with respect to the number of axial half waves m.
Table 1 gives the buckling mode m and the critical load corresponding to four
dierent cases of asymmetric defects. The data used in this application are the
same as those used for the perfect shell.
6. Eect of localized axisymmetric imperfections
When a localized defect is assumed to have the form given by Eq. (7), the dier-
ential system obtained by Arbocz [5] reduces to the following form:
w
0
;zzzz
2aw
0
;zz
bw
0
2aa
0
;zz
12
where z x=R, a 2Rkc=h and b 4c
2
R
2
=h
2
.
It can be shown, on the other hand, that the boundary conditions as given by
Eq. (3) are easily transformed to the form
w
0
0 w
0
L=R ^ ww
tk
c
; and w
0
;z
0 w
0
;z
L=R 0 13
Table 1
Buckling load versus the amplitude of the distributed asymmetric imperfections
nn
1
(10
6
m)
nn
2
(10
6
m)
m
k
d
=k
c
Case 1 11.79 11.79 16 0.9749
Case 2 47.16 11.79 14 0.8360
Case 3 47.16 47.16 8 0.2876
Case 4 11.79 47.16 10 0.3329
A. Khamlichi et al. / Thin-Walled Structures 42 (2004) 10351047 1042
Given an axisymmetric defect having the form of a parabola of magnitude e
which is distributed on the strip x
0
g=2; x
0
g=2, performing analytic inte-
gration of Eqs. (12) and (13) yields the following expression of shell radial displace-
ment:
wx h ^ wwk ~ wwk; e; g; x
0
h
t
Sk; z; e; g; x
0
Gz 14
where S T
1
W,
t
Gz e
uz
coswz e
uz
sinwz e
uz
coswz e
uz
sinwz ,
~ wwk; e; g; x
0
8h
2
Rek=cgx
0
g, and t in superscript position indicates the matrix
transpose.
In the previous relations, the other notations used are
T
1 0 1 0
u w u w
s
1
s
2
s
3
s
4
us
1
ws
2
us
2
ws
1
us
3
ws
4
us
4
ws
3
_
_
_
_
; u
cR
h
1 k
_
;
w
cR
h
1 k
_
; s
1
e
uL=R
coswL=R; e
uL=R
sinwL=R;
e
uL=R
coswL=R; e
uL=R
sinwL=R and
t
W ^ ww ~ ww 0 ^ ww ~ ww 0
Parametric studies regarding shell buckling can now be performed. Using the same
shell data as previously considered for the perfect shell, Figs. 5 and 6 give predic-
tions of the buckling load for the centred localized defects as a function of defect
characteristics amplitude e and strip width g. To obtain these gures, the load
deection curve as given by relation (14) is plotted. Then the rst bifurcation or
limit point when it occurs is located. Fig. 7 shows typical bifurcation points in the
loaddeection curves. Fig. 8 shows the buckling modes associated with the pre-
vious buckling loads.
Fig. 5. Buckling load versus the defect amplitude |e| for g L=20.
1043 A. Khamlichi et al. / Thin-Walled Structures 42 (2004) 10351047
7. Comparison with other known results
In order to evaluate the range of validity of the actual buckling strength predic-
tions, let us rst consider the governing sensitivity expression for the relative buck-
ling load versus the amplitude of a distributed axisymmetric imperfection as
established for long cylindrical shells by Hutchinson and Koiter [13]:
k
k
c
1
3c
4h
e
3c
2h
e
9c
2
16h
2
e
2
15
where k is the actual buckling load when a geometrical imperfection in the shape of
the axisymmetric buckling mode of amplitude e is assumed.
Fig. 6. Buckling load versus the defect strip width g for jej h=10.
Fig. 7. Loaddeection curves as a function of |e| for g L=20.
A. Khamlichi et al. / Thin-Walled Structures 42 (2004) 10351047 1044
To also assess comparisons with the case of distributed defects obtained by lin-
ear combination of the rst buckling modes, the numerical results obtained
through use of a commercial nite element code by Kim and Kim [9] are also con-
sidered.
Table 2 summarizes the obtained buckling load as a function of the defect ampli-
tude. The boundary conditions used in obtaining the numerical results are those
corresponding to a cylinder on a sti foundation, which is close to the shell con-
sidered in the present work. The authors have outlined that the results are scarcely
aected by the boundary conditions, since when considering the same cylinder on a
soft foundation, variations of the results were limited to within a 6% interval. In
fact, the results associated to shell parameters bounding the case L 2R et R
866 h considered in the present work are recalled in Table 2.
As shown in Table 2, our model underestimates the buckling load when the loca-
lized defect amplitude is very small: jej 0:1 h. Our model nevertheless predicts
nearly the same buckling load for moderate defect amplitudes, jej ! 0:3 h, as that
obtained from Kim and Kim [9], while it overestimates the buckling load in
Fig. 8. Shell buckling modes for two defect amplitudes and g L=20.
Table 2
Comparison of reduced buckling loads
jej=h L 2R and
R 800h [9]
L 2R and
R 1000h [9]
L 2R and
R 866h
(Hutchinson et al.)
L 2R and
R 866h
(this study)
0.1 0.608 0.695 0.611 0.978
0.2 n.c. n.c. 0.501 0.110
0.3 0.420 0.532 0.433 0.224
1 0.310 0.328 0.236 0.271
2 0.257 0.301 0.147 0.280
3 0.231 0.262 0.107 0.282
1045 A. Khamlichi et al. / Thin-Walled Structures 42 (2004) 10351047
comparison with Hutchinson and Koiter [13]. Note, however, that our model pre-
dicts, in the most severe case, a critical load which is only 0.110 when jej 0:2 h.
This result is only one half the critical load predicted by Kim and Kim [9] and
agrees with the minimum buckling load obtained by Hutchinson and Koiter [13]
when jej 3 h. Note also that the governing sensitivity expression given in Eq. (15)
predicts a buckling load which is always decreasing while the localized imperfection
considered here predicts a sensitivity behaviour to defect amplitude which is not
monotonic.
8. Discussions and conclusions
When the shell surface suers from the presence of a localized axisymmetric
imperfection, the fundamental equilibrium trajectory bifurcates or admits a limit
point. The actual critical load is less than the classical critical load. Figs. 5 and 6
and Table 2 show that the obtained critical loads can be much less in comparison
with those obtained by distributed defects.
It is possible to perform, by means of the analytic model presented in this work,
parametric studies with the view of locating defects which are potentially the most
dangerous. In all cases, calculations are achieved with high accuracy and speed.
It has been shown that the eect of a localized axisymmetric defect is not pro-
portional to its span. Moreover, it is not possible to foresee which one would have
the most important eect on the buckling load. Considering each possible case sep-
arately is hence necessary. In practice, one may get the actual imperfections by tak-
ing measurements and introduce them in the analytic model after performing a
correlation with the localized defect having the form considered in this work. In
the absence of any imperfection statements, it is advisable to consider the most
adverse critical load obtained from various simulations. This last could be
obtained, in fact, through a minimisation process conducted over the parameters of
the localized axisymmetric defect: amplitude and strip width.
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