A theory of shells with small strain accompanied by moderate rotation

This paper is concerned with a constrained theory of shells in the presence of small strain accompanied by moderate rotation. The constrained theory accounts for the effect of transverse normal strain and includes, of course, the special case (corresponding to the Kirchhoff-Love theory of shells) in which the effect of transverse normal strain is absent. After precise estimates for (local) moderate rotation and relative displacement gradients in terms of infinitesimal strain have been effected, a complete theory is formulated with the use of linear constitutive equations. The nature of the complete theory is further examined when initially the shell-like body is a plate; and it is shown that our kinematical formulae (strain-displacement relations), as well as the relevant differential equations of the theory in the absence of the effect of transverse normal strain, systematically reduce to those used in the von Kármán plate equations. Also, in the light of the present results, an assessment of kinematical aspects of previously developed theories of shells undergoing small strain and moderate rotation is indicated.