Including Imperfections within the Displacement-based Koiter Methodology

The Koiter methodology is a reduced-order model that can predict the initial post-buckling characteristics of structures. Incorporating the Koiter approach within finite element simulations resulted in challenges. These included mesh sensitive initial post-buckling coefficients, computationally expensive high-order derivatives, and phenomena...

Finite difference analysis of shell structures

A new approach to applying the finite difference method for solving the shell model problem. By solving the general shell differential equations (Sanders-Koiter equations) with first-order finite-difference approximation only, a finite difference algorithm called shell code has been developed. <br/><br/>To this end, a 1200-line Python program...

Local Buckling Analysis of Thin-Wall Shell Structures

This master thesis presents research into buckling of thin hyperboloid shells structures. This type of structure is typically applied as the large cooling towers at coal fired electricity plants. However, modelling cooling towers is not the objective of this research. The objective of this research is to understand the buckling behaviour of...

On Introducing Imperfection in the Non-Linear Analysis of Buckling of Thin Shell Structures

This master thesis details the investigation of the effect of geometrical imperfection on thin shell structures using general FEM software packages. The author proposes a finite element based method for the analysis and design of thin shell structures, and describes the implementation of such a procedure on four different FEM packages. The...

Local buckling collapse of marine pipelines

To keep up with the growing demand for oil and gas, the oil and gas industry ventures into deeper waters. For a deep water pipeline project, South Stream, a pipeline test program is developed. Part of this program is the investigation of the resistance of an externally pressurised pipeline against local buckling collapse. This is a decisive...