ON SHELL EFFECTS ON FERRO-CEMENT VESSELS.

The shell effect in ferro-cement vessels has been investigated. The loading was quasistatic and consisted of a hydrostatic part and of a dynamic wave equivalent part. The geometry of the midship section was varied systematically. Finite element analyses have been carried out to find membrane and bending stresses in the shell. The structural behavior was discussed, and considerable shell effects demonstrated in doubly curved shells. Simplified calculation procedures have been proposed. Vessels of other sizes are assumed by a simple scaling of the geometry and loading. The influence of the scaling on the stress distribution has been discussed. For the topologies considered, the stresses will, in general, increase in the same proportion as the increase in dimensions and loading. The design of ferro-cement vessels has been considered in view of the results obtained.