Laboratory tests and numerical modelling of large displacements of an elasto-plastic cylindrical shell

Computer program COSMOS/M has been successfully used for resistance assessment analysis of slab structures with determined values of random parameters ( Kaliszuk et al. 2004 ). Owing to the fact that this program is planned to be used for the resistance assessment analysis of shell structures, several laboratory tests were carried out in order to verify the correctness of this program’s operation also in the case of such structures. The testing focused on resistance assessment of cylindrical shell panels loaded laterally. The scope of the testing comprised large displacements and elasto-plastic shell deformations. All the precisely recorded parameters of the tested shells were then used as the program input data. All phenomena observed during the testing were carefully modelled and the resulting numerical model served as a basis for the simulation of the carried out tests. Good conformity of the numerical analysis results with the experimental results renders it possible to state that program COSMOS/M can be successfully used for resistance assessment analysis of the shell panels in question.