On stability of orthotropic cylindrical shells

In contrast to 1–3], the present paper obtains a system of stability equations and the corresponding resolving equation for orthotropic cylindrical shells of any but very short length in the case where the precritical stress state cannot be treated as the zero-moment state. These equations are a generalization of the results obtained in 4]. On the basis of these equations, one can obtain both the well-known formulas 1–3] and, for medium-length shells, some new expressions of the critical load in longitudinal compression and that under the joint action of torsionalmoments, normal pressure, and longitudinal compression. Some estimates are performed and the determination of the domain of application of some formulas given in 2] and in the present paper is attempted. For an orthotropic shell, a relationship between the elastic parameters and the shear modulus is established for axisymmetric and nonaxisymmetric buckling mode shapes in longitudinal compression.