9R24. Asymptotic Methods in the Buckling Theory of Elastic Shells. - PE Tovstik and AL Smirnov (St Petersburg State Univ, Russia). World Sci Publ, Singapore. 2001. 347 pp. ISBN 981-02-4726-5. $78.00.
Reviewed by CR Steele (Div of Mech and Comp, Stanford Univ, Durand Bldg, Room 262, Stanford CA 94305-4040).
Thin shells present a significant obstacle for direct computational methods. The reason is the existence of a characteristic distance, the square root of radius times thickness, on which significant variation in the response occurs. This is particularly significant for peak stress, boundary layers, and buckling and vibration waves. To capture this requires a fine mesh which can become prohibitive for significant shell structures. The problem is skirted in the majority of current papers and books on computation of shells. Typically, benchmark problems are used, eg, the Scordelis-Lo roof, the pinched spherical cap, which have a deformation that is primarily inextensional and...
