In engineering, thin-walled cylindrical shells are easier and more likely to withstand non-uniform axial compression loads, such as nuclear containment, rocket launcher and civil silo. For these structures, buckling instability is the most common and serious failure pattern. However, until now, the buckling behaviors of thin-walled cylindrical shells subjected to non-uniform axial compression load is still unclear, and there are also few relevant buckling experiments. In order to fill this research gap as well as reveal the relevant failure mechanism of these structures and guide their design in engineering application, twenty one thin-walled metal cylindrical shell experiment specimens are prepared and tested in this paper. These specimens are divided into seven groups according to the area of non-uniform compression loads they can withstand, in which one group test specimens is designed as a reference group to subject to uniform axial compression loads. By means of Handyscan 3D measuring equipment, these specimens’ shape are described quantitatively before and after buckling failure. During the buckling test, the load carrying capacity of these cylindrical shell specimens are acquired in real time by our axial compression buckling test rig. Meanwhile, the deformation process of cylindrical shells are also recorded by strain gauges and high-speed camera. Results indicate that non-uniform axial compression load has an obvious detrimental influence on the axial load carrying capacity of thin-walled cylindrical shells. The critical buckling loads and buckling failure modes of these specimens are closely dependent on the form of non-uniform axial compression load.


Buckling Test of Metallic Thin-Walled Cylindrical Shells Under Non-Uniform Axial Compression Loads

Division / Sponsors: 
Pressure Vessels & Piping (PVP)


Paper Proceedings: https://asmedigitalcollection.asme.org/PVP/PVP2020/volume/83815

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