Analysis of axisymmetric shell structures under axisymmetric loading by the flexibility method

A method is developed for the static stress and deformation analysis of axisymmetric shells under axisymmetric loading by reduction of the shell to ring sections. In particular, the wall thickness of the shell may vary and the method is applicable to the analysis of shells with irregular meridional geometry. Explicit expressions for the influence coefficients for each ring element are derived. In the development of these expressions, exact evaluation of stresses in the circumferential direction of the ring is used. The distribution of stresses in the meridional direction of the ring element is assumed to be linear with each element. By using the derived influence coefficients, the unknown forces at the junctures of the ring elements are found by the standard flexibility method of indeterminate structural analysis. Subsequently, the displacements and internal stresses are determined. Example solutions for a flat circular plate under transverse loading and for a cylindrical shell under a boundary edge loading show excellent agreement with solutions found by solving the governing differential equations.