A shell theory with independent rotations for relaxed Biot stress and right stretch strain (Q1129550)

A shell theory incorporating rotations as the independent variable, among them the drilling rotation, is derived systematically from three-dimensional equations of a classical (non-polar) continuum. The three-dimensional balance equations are expressed in terms of the Biot stress, the deformation gradient and rotations, which are introduced via a polar decomposition equation for the deformation gradient. The weak form shell equations are obtained from the three-dimensional ones by Taylor approximations in the thickness direction, (linear for the deformation gradient and constant for the rotations) and an integration over the shell thickness. The constitutive equations for the shell stress and couple resultants are found for a linear material and a Mooney-Rivlin incompressible material. They are derived without any simplifying assumptions for the strain energy given in terms of the right stretching tensor, linearly approximated across the thickness. The normal strain is recovered for the Reissner kinematics making use of the plane stress condition for the linear material, and the incompressibility condition for the Mooney-Rivlin material.