1Linear buckling of cylindrical shells under compression and torsion¶
Under pure compression, the shell buckles into an axisymmetric or diamond-shaped pattern (Yoshimura pattern), whereas under pure torsion, the shell deforms into a diagonal-shaped pattern with spiral wrinkles. Castro et al. Castro et al., 2014 and Lu et al. Lu et al., 2025 explores how these modes interact under combined loads, such as compression with pre-torsion or torsion with pre-compression. The interaction of axial and torsional loads creates a rich variety of behaviors:
Table 1:Post-Buckling Characteristics for Various Loading Conditions
| Loading Type | Post-Buckling Pattern | Stability/Behavior |
|---|---|---|
| Pure Compression | Diamond-shaped | Highly unstable; snapping occurs with decreasing . |
| Pure Torsion | Diagonal-shaped | Smooth path; load carrying capacity usually decreases. |
| Torsion + Pre-tension | Diagonal-shaped | Pre-tension increases the critical load and stabilizes the path. |
| Torsion + Pre-compression | Twisted Diamond | Large pre-compression triggers snapping and complex pattern transitions. |
The next sections will discuss different implementations of this shell buckling problem.
- Castro, S. G. P., Mittelstedt, C., Monteiro, F. A. C., Arbelo, M. A., Ziegmann, G., & Degenhardt, R. (2014). Linear buckling predictions of unstiffened laminated composite cylinders and cones under various loading and boundary conditions using semi-analytical models. Composite Structures, 118, 303–315. 10.1016/j.compstruct.2014.07.037
- Lu, L., Leanza, S., Liu, Y., & Zhao, R. R. (2025). Buckling and post-buckling of cylindrical shells under combined torsional and axial loads. European Journal of Mechanics - A/Solids, 112, 105653. 10.1016/j.euromechsol.2025.105653