Wind buckling analysis of cylindrical shells with various geometric imperfections

This study addresses the complexity of buckling behavior in cylindrical shells subjected to non-uniform wind loading, emphasizing the significant impact of geometric parameters on buckling patterns. Cylinders with varying aspect ratios exhibit distinct linear and nonlinear buckling behaviors, complicating the determination of the most detrimental structural imperfections across different geometries. Notably, imperfections affecting stocky cylinders may be less impactful for slender ones. This paper introduced equations for calculating linear critical pressures under wind loading, followed by an extensive numerical analysis assessing the imperfection sensitivity in anchored cylindrical shells of uniform thickness with diverse aspect ratios. Two types of geometric imperfections were employed to assess their influence on the nonlinear buckling strength of cylinders with varying geometries. Results demonstrate that eigenmode imperfections predominantly compromise the buckling strength of stocky cylinders, whereas nonlinear incremental mode imperfections significantly influence the nonlinear critical pressures of intermediate-length and slender cylinders. Consequently, empirical expressions have been formulated to calculate the imperfection reduction factor, offering a precise evaluation of nonlinear buckling pressures in imperfect cylinders under wind loading.