Pseudo-dynamic buckling experiments on thin cylindrical shells under biaxial seismic loads Original Research Article

A buckling design research program has been carried out to establish seismic design guidelines for a fast breeder reactor. In doing so, the buckling strength of the cylindrical part of the reactor vessel of a fast breeder reactor under horizontal and vertical seismic loads has been clarified. The effects of axial loads on the horizontal seismic responses in pre- and post-buckling states of thin cylindrical shells are investigated. Pseudo-dynamic buckling experiments are performed to study the dynamic buckling characteristics of thin cylindrical structures when subjected to seismic loads. The buckling tests use model cylinders made of an aluminum plate and a biaxial loading test apparatus. The axial seismic loads reduce the lateral load-carrying capacity of the shells in the pre- and post-buckling regions so that they amplify the horizontal response displacement. An amplification factor that accounts for the effects of the vertical loads is presented and its validity is verified experimentally.