Bending Analysis of Circular Cylindrical Shells

A complete analysis of various cylindrical shell forms, for silos, pressure vessels, containment shells, containers, and shell roofs, would require an appropriate bending theory. A general bending theory would embody the membrane theory of shells. It would also predict the bending action of the shell. This chapter introduces a general bending theory of circular cylindrical shells. The theoretical basis of the present chapter forms the foundation of approximate bending theories for cylindrical shells. The special theories for cylinders, such as axisymmetric cylindrical shell theory and the bending theories of cylindrical vaulted roofs, developed in future chapters, can be considered as the offspring of the general theory presented in this chapter. The theoretical developments in this chapter will lead to a set of useful relations for treating a variety of practical shell analyses and design problems.