162

R. Greiner

1000

q t r

100

b l

2.5

10 l/r = l/r = /4 1.0 0.92 r/t = 200 1000 r/t = 200 1000

qcr E r t l r

In accordance with Almroth and Brush (1961)

0.1 0.001

0.01 b/l

0.1

1.0

Figure 5.7 Medium-length cylinders with classical boundary conditions under band pressure.

So basically the buckling-relevant membrane stiffness is much more reduced with small buckles than with bigger ones. The reduction factor , accounting for the effect of imperfections, is given by different numbers in specic codes. The ECCS Recommendation No. 56 (1988) and the BS 5500 (1985) give a factor of 0.50, while the ASME Code (1989) gives 0.80. The new DIN 18800 (1990) and the EUROCODE 3 (1999) provide an -factor with 0.65. These different numbers result from different evaluation methods of the buckling tests, which partly do not consider the effects of the specic boundary conditions, of the actual material properties or the difference between overall and pure circumferential pressure. It is further remarkable that the -factors are used without relation to the cylinder length. Remembering the fact that short cylinders approach the behaviour of plates, while long cylinders take on the behaviour of rings, one might conclude that in these ranges of length differing imperfection sensitivity should be found. However, specic investigations are not available concerning this aspect. Nevertheless, based on the evaluation of new test-series, the new part 16 of EUROCODE 3 denes -factors of 0.75/0.65/0.50 for excellent, high or normal fabrication quality, specifying that this factor is related to shells with uniform pressure on the circumferential surface. The real buckling resistance is also affected by the material law or the plasticity effect of the material. This effect is described by a transition curve in