Lower-bound shakedown analysis of spherical shells containing defects

Abstract In this paper, a lower-bound shakedown analysis of spherical shells containing defects is given based on the static shakedown theorem. The pseudo-residual stress field is simulated by the temperature parameter method. In order to get over the difficulty of large computative quantities, the yield condition is linearized, so that shakedown analysis is transformed into a linear programming problem. The shakedown and the limit loads of spherical shells containing part-through slots and gas holes are computed by this method, and the relationships between the carrying capacities of vessels and the geometric parameters of shells and defects are obtained. The effects of pits and gas holes on carrying capacities of vessels are then compard with each other.