Correct asymptotic theories for the axisymmetric deformation of thin and moderately thick cylindrical shells (Q1262028)

The aim of this important contribution is to bridge the gap between thin shell theory and the exact theory based on three-dimensional elasticity. Authors restrict themselves to a semi-infinite moderately thick (complete) cylindrical shell in axially symmetric deformation, and they consider traction-, displacement-, and mixed edge data. The derivation of the relevant boundary conditions constitutes the main contribution of this paper. The refined shell theory corresponds to a two-term outer asymptotic expansion of the exact solution for small values of the thickness parameter. By means of some examples, it is demonstrated that corrections to the thin shell solutions can be important.