The effect of non-uniformity of axial loading on the buckling behaviour of shells with random imperfections (Q2385264)

The authors propose a general realistic approach for modeling geometric boundary imperfections in the cases where the experimental measurements are unavailable. In such cases it is necessary to perform a sensitivity analysis with respect to assumed parameters describing the probabilistic characteristics of boundary imperfections. The proposed methodology is based on the fact that, in the context of a sensitivity analysis, the previously described two-step analysis is fully equivalent to performing a sensitivity analysis with respect to probability characteristics of a random non-uniform axial load distribution applied as incremental load in the nonlinear analysis. Thus, an edge deformation pattern is obtained at the very beginning of an incremental nonlinear analysis procedure, which is assumed to correspond to the actual edge imperfection pattern. A one-dimensional homogeneous stochastic field is used for modeling the applied axial load. This varying axial load together with the initial out-of-plane geometric imperfections, thickness and material properties variability is incorporated in a cost-effective nonlinear stochastic finite element method using the nonlinear TRIC shell element. The local average method is used for the derivation of the stochastic stiffness matrix, while the variability of the limit loads is obtained by means of a brute-force Monte Carlo simulation. At the usage of such an approach, the authors study the relative effect of a random non-uniform axial loading, or equivalently a random edge imperfection pattern, on the buckling load of isotropic thin-walled cylinders already possessing geometric out-of-plane, material and thickness imperfections. The performed numerical tests confirm the significant role of the non-uniform axial loading (or equivalently the random geometric boundary imperfections) on the buckling behaviour of imperfection sensitive structures like thin-walled cylinders. The validity of the proposed approach is enhanced by the reasonably close estimates obtained for the first- and second-order moments of the computed buckling loads, as well as by the shapes of their probability distributions matching with experimental results. The proposed approach is general and can be applied to the numerical investigation of buckling behaviour of any shell-type structure possessing geometric, material or thickness imperfections.