Stress and Deflection Analysis of Composite Cantilevered Shallow Shells

Abstract

The Ritz method, which is widely used for the free‐vibration analysis of isotropic plates and shells, is employed here to determine the displacements and stresses in cantilevered shallow shells that are statically loaded. The shallow shells are made of composite materials such as filamentary laminates or reinforced concrete. Displacements are assumed in the form of algebraic polynomials. Convergence for the membrane stress and bending moment resultants is demonstrated to be less rapid than for the displacements. Numerical results are presented for three‐layer cross‐ply and angle‐ply laminates made of graphite/epoxy materials. Displacements and stresses for shallow shells of spherical, circular cylindrical and hyperbolic paraboloidal curvature and square planform subjected to gravity loading are compared with those of flat plates.