Uniform error estimates for a class of intermediate cylindrical shell problems

Summary. A uniform in thickness error estimate is obtained for a particular class of intermediate Koiter shell problems, solved with a classical conforming finite element method. The model problem is that of a cylinder under a class of irregular loads which, due to particular symmetries, allow a simplified reformulation on a one dimensional domain. The result is an almost h^s error behavior in the H^–1 dual norm, were s>0 depends on the load regularity. Such estimate is believable to be sharp (this additional claim is supported by some numerical tests). Mathematics Subject Classification (2000):65N30Received: 17, October 2001