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New Developments in Shell Stability
John W. Hutchinson, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University
Summary
The stability of structures continues to be scientifically fascinating and technically important. Shell buckling emerged as one of the most challenging nonlinear problems in mechanics sixty years ago when it was first intensively studied. The subject has returned to life motivated not only by structural applications but also by developments in the life sciences concerning soft materials. Efforts are underway in China, Europe and the US to update existing design codes for shell buckling to take account of computational and experimental advances which promise to enable more efficient structures. The challenge is that shell structures are susceptible to dramatic load-carrying reductions due to relatively small imperfections in their geometry. Imperfections must be factored into buckling load estimations. Recent work by the speaker and his collaborators on spherical shells subject to external pressure will be used to illustrate some of the new developments in shell stability. In particular, the talk will address buckling mode localization, realistic imperfections, and energy barriers for stability.
Brief Biographical Statement for John W. Hutchinson
John Hutchinson received his undergraduate education in engineering mechanics at Lehigh University and his graduate education in mechanical engineering at Harvard University. He joined the Harvard faculty in the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences in 1964 and is currently the Lawrence Professor of Engineering Emeritus. Hutchinson and his collaborators work on problems in solid mechanics concerned with engineering materials and structures. Buckling, structural stability, elasticity, plasticity, fracture and micro-mechanics are all central in their research. Ongoing research activities are: (1) development of a mechanics framework for assessing the durability of thermal barrier coatings for gas turbine engines, (2) fracture mechanics of tough ductile alloys, (3) the mechanics of thin films, coatings and multilayers, and (4) shell buckling. Further information and publications can be downloaded at http://www.seas.harvard.edu/hutchinson
John Hutchinson’s distinctions include being elected a Foreign Member of the Royal Society (ForMemRS), a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and a member of the US National Academy of Engineering.