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Space Vehicle Design Criteria - Buckling Of Thin Walled Circular Cylinders

1. INTRODUCTION

Structural components are said to be unstable under static loading when infinitesimal
load increases or other small disturbances will induce the structure to change from one
equilibrium configuration to another of a different character. her some structures and
loadings the two configurations may differ slightly and large changes of shape develop
gradually with an increase of toad. In this case, the initial buckling load merely
indicates when a change in the character of the deformations will occur. Generally, a
more significant load is the ultimate load of the structure which may be reached either
when the material fails plastically or when the structure collapses. in other instances
the two equilibrium configurations differ greatly and the transition from one to the
other is extremely rapid. The structure usually loses its capacity to sustain further load
increases or it undergoes large deformations that render it unsafe for continued use.

The primary design problem is the prevention of the buckling that leads to undesirable
configurations — in particular, collapse. The magnitude of the critical static load of a
structure generally depends on its geometric proportions, the manner in which it is
stiffened and in which it is supported, the bending and extenSional stiffnesses of its
various components, or other reasonably well-defined characteristics. For thin-waned
shell structures? less certain characteristics, such as small deviations of the structure
from its nominal unloaded shape, may also have quite important effects on the load at
which buckling will occur. Other factors that affect buckling, such as cutouts,
nonuniform stiffnesses, and variation of loading with time,are not considered in this
monograph.

This monograph indicates current practices for predicting buckling of uniform
stiffened and unstiffened circular cylindrical shells under various types of static
loading, and suggests the procedures that yieid estimates of static buckling loads
considered to be conservative. The buckling of truncated conical shelis and shells of
douhie curvature will be treated in separate monographs.

Estimation of design toads for buckling invoives the use of the uitimate design factor.
Considerations invoived in selecting the numerical vaiue of this factor wilt be presented
in another monograph.