Cylindrical shells under combined loading

275

mylar or plexiglass) or design buckling strength predictions. Thus, conservative estimates have been used for items that remain uncertain (e.g. BC S3 was assumed if there were doubts concerning the axial restraint of the test shell). The whole evaluation procedure including source and buckling relevant parameters of each test is reported by Winterstetter (2000). Results of fundamental load reference tests Every interactive buckling test series consists of a set of experiments, which includes tests under fundamental loads for reference. In Fig. 10.11, these results of tests with only one basic stress component are plotted against some of the European design code reduction curves as discussed in the section Cylindrical shells under fundamental loads. The gures show the wide scatter typical of shell buckling experiments. In general, the fundamental stress test data are in good agreement with the reduction curves. Thus, the values obtained from the whole of interaction test series can be expected to give reasonable results. Results of combined loading tests In Figs 10.12 and 10.13, all interaction test results are plotted against the reported/assumed yield limit. No validated test data were found concerning experiments on steel shells with combinations of all three fundamental load types. A lack of interaction tests on thicker cylinders under load combinations including torsion was also detected. Thus, a series of combined loading shell buckling tests under axial compression and torsion was performed at the University of Essen. The results are reported by Winterstetter and Schmidt (1999), a summary of which is given by Schmidt and Winterstetter (1999). The cases with tensile stress components (e.g. combined axial tension and external pressure) are included in Figs 10.12 and 10.13, though they remain unconsidered within this chapter. These effects are discussed by Winterstetter (2000) and by Winterstetter and Schmidt (2002). In the case of axial compression and external pressure (Fig. 10.12), the test data cover the whole range of purely elastic up to plastic interactive buckling. In the other two cases of axial compression and torsion and external pressure and torsion (Fig. 10.13), no experiments were found in the region of plastic buckling, as mentioned above. The well-known strength-raising effect of internal pressure for elastic axial compression buckling can be observed as well as the reducing effect of biaxial stresses with unequal signs and the strengthening effect of biaxial compression in the plastic region. In general, experimental elastic interactive buckling occurs in agreement with the theoretical LA/GNA buckling curve shapes, at least in the cases of near-perfect test shells often used. Steel cylinders with moderate to large wall thickness buckle more in agreement with the very convex plastic interaction curve.