Transition from progressive buckling to global bending of circular shells under axial impact - Part II: Theoretical analysis

This is the second paper of a two-part paper investigating the complex phenomenon of the dynamic transition from progressive buckling to global bending collapse of a long circular cylindrical shell subjected to an axial impact. The paper focuses on the theoretical analysis of the phenomenon. The two-phase concept for the deformation of 'Type II' structures is employed to explore the influence of the loading parameters and the material and geometrical characteristics of a shell on the critical length that marks the transition between the two collapse modes. Simple models for the initial compressive phase in the case of global bending and for the development of a single axisymmetric wrinkle in a circular shell, are used to analyse some numerical results presented in Part I of this study [International Journal of Solids and Structures 41 (2004) 1565]. (C) 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.