FINITE ELEMENT ANALYSIS OF TRANSLATIONAL SHELLS

In this study, shell structures are idealized to be assemblages of flat triangular plate elements and the curved edge beams or stiffeners are idealized to be assemblages of segments of straight beam elements. The use of higher order displacements is investigated. The objective of this study is to obtain a more accurate solution to the stress conditions in the regions near boundary or near supporting edge members for the general doubly curved shell by using higher order displacement functions. A quadratic displacement function for the tangential displacements in the triangular element is assumed and the membrane stiffness is derived according to this assumed displacement function. The decision to use a fourth order displacement function to derive the flexural stiffness of the triangular element and the bending stiffness of the edge beam or stiffener element is made according to the result of a study of the compatibility and consistency of degrees of kinematic freedom at nodes common to the different elements. For a beam element, bending stiffnesses about both principal axes of its cross section as well as its axial and twisting stiffnesses are considered. A variety of numerical examples are presented. These examples include plate problems, a beam and slab bridge, a curved bridge, and shell problems of various geometries and boundary conditions. The effect of eccentricity of the edge beams of a hyperbolic paraboloid on the displacements and stresses in the beams and shell is presented in the last example for the purpose of demonstrating that the method presented in this study has the capability to handle this type of problem. The validity and the generality of the method presented in this study are well established by the good results obtained for all of these examples.

• Corporate Authors:

  University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign

  Urbana, IL  United States  61801

  Office of Naval Research

  Department of the Navy, 800 North Quincy Street
  Arlington, VA  United States  22217
• Authors:
  • Chu, T C
  • Schnobrich, W C
• Publication Date: 1970-11

Media Info

• Features: Appendices; Figures; References;
• Pagination: 115 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Bending; Boundary layer; Finite element method; Flexural strength; Shells (Structural forms); Stiffness; Stresses
• Uncontrolled Terms: Flexural stiffness
• Old TRIS Terms: Bending stiffness; Boundary stresses; Shell theory
• Subject Areas: Marine Transportation; Materials;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00010201
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: UILU-ENG-70-104 Tech Rpt
• Contract Numbers: N00014-67A-0305-0010
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Feb 25 1972 12:00AM