Abstract
The instability of perfect, laminated, circular cylindrical shells with fixed ends under the action of uniform axial compression, lateral pressure, and torsion is investigated. The analysis is based on nonlinear kinematic relations where the effect of transverse shear deformation is taken into account. Three theories (higher order shear deformation theory, first-order shear deformation theory, and classical) are compared to determine their range of applicability in predicting critical conditions for moderately thick cylindrical shells under the action of various loads. Also, the effects of stacking sequence, radius-to-thickness ratio, and length-to-radius ratio are assessed. The results obtained indicate that the first-order shear deformation theory with a proper shear correction factor is a good candidate for the analysis of moderately thick laminated cylindrical shells.