On the Optimal Design of Steel Shells with Technological Constraints

This paper is concerned with determining the optimum conditions of steel cylindrical shells with technological limitations and one behavioral constraint, related to a specific constitutive law for limiting load-carrying capacity. The optimum structural design in the plastic range of circular cylindrical full shells composed of rings of variable thickness is given. A numerical procedure for determining the optimal dimensions of shell rings is given. A shell collapse mechanism is assumed in the kinematic part, which satisfies requirements. Within the optimum conditions, the power of the dissipation energy of rings assuming the hexagon Hodge condition of plasticity are derived. A series of numerical solutions and results of optimal structural designs for a shell that is simply supported at the ends are presented. In one example of optimally calculated shells, the length X1 of one ring was varied.