Allowing for Rotations about the Normal in Nonlinear Theories of Shells

Consideration is given to three versions of nonlinear strain–displacement relations in the case of small strains and moderately small angles of rotation: (i) relations that neglect rotations about the normal in conformity with the hypotheses of the Donnel–Mushtary–Vlasov theory; (ii) relations, derived from the elasticity equations using Novozhilov's tensor, that exactly allow for rotations; and (iii) relations, proposed by Sanders, that allow for rotations but neglect shear strains. These versions are compared by comparing the solutions of the stability problem for a corrugated cylindrical shell. It is established that the critical loads are close when rotations are allowed for exactly and when Sanders' technique is used