Axisymmetric large deflection analysis of fully and partially loaded shallow spherical shells

Geometrically non-linear axisymmetric bending of a shallow spherical shell with a clamped or a simply supported edge under axisymmetric load was investigated numerically. The partial load was introduced by the Heaviside step function, and the solution was obtained by the finite difference and the Newton-Raphson methods. The thickness of the shell was considered to be uniform and the material was assumed to be homogeneous and isotropic. Sensitivity analysis was made for three geometrical parameters. The accuracy of the algorithm was checked by comparing the central deflection, the radial membrane stress at the edge, or the transverse shear force with the solutions of plates and shells in the literature and good agreement was obtained. The main findings of the study can be outlined as follows: (i) If the shell is fully loaded the central deflection of a clamped shell is larger than that of a simply supported shell provided that the shell is not very shallow, (ii) if the shell is partially loaded the central deflection of the shell is sensitive to the parameters of thickness, depth, and partial loading but the influence of the boundary conditions is negligible.