NON-LINEAR INSTABILITY AND PLASTIC COLLAPSE OF PARTIALLY LOADED SPHERICAL SHELLS.

Based on a two-dimensional discretization scheme, a finite-difference energy method is utilized for the nonlinear, elastic and elastic-plastic collapse analysis of spherical shells under external pressures acting asymmetrically on a given fraction of the shell surface. The results are compared with some of the limited experimental data and theoretical predictions previously available. It is shown that the approach is useful for the study of nonlinear collapse phenomena in shells, including the effects of plasticity.