Free vibration analysis of laminated shell including transverse shear effects

Discrete-layer shear deformation theory was used to analyse the free vibration of the laminated shells. An assumption, that the transverse shear strains across any two layers are linearly dependent on each other, has been adopted. The theory contains the same dependent variables as the first-order shear deformation theory, but the set of governing differential equations are of twelfth order. No shear correction factors were required. The free vibrations of a short circular shell and two shallow shells were calculated. The numerical results have been compared with the classical lamination theory, first-order shear deformation theory and other shear deformation theory solutions.