Axisymmetric bending solution of shells of revolution by the generalized differential quadrature rule

Abstract

A generalized differential quadrature rule (GDQR) proposed recently by the authors is applied here to obtain the axisymmetric bending solution of shells of revolution, which includes both long and short cylinders and storage tanks with stepped wall thickness. The boundary conditions for long cylinders are simplified in a practical way. The analysis of storage tank with stepped wall thickness is formulated with the aid of domain decomposition, and the compatibility conditions are expressed explicitly. The annular bottom plate and the stepped tank shell are considered as part of the whole. The engineering design of the annular bottom plate and the concrete ring wall is discussed considering an accurate assumption for the interaction between the bottom plate and the foundation. Examples are presented to demonstrate the efficiency of the GDQR. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.