Acta Scientiarum Polonorum

In the present paper the variant of computational methods of stability and initial post-buckling behavior of isotropic shells was generalized with respect to laminated composite shells. Using methods of the asymptotic analysis of the Timoshenko–Mindlin theory, the relationships for calculation of shells with the small geometrical imperfections of the different shapes have been produced. On the basis of obtained equations, the technique of calculation of a non-linear pre-buckling state, limiting loads and bifurcation, and also initial post-buckling behavior of laminated cylindrical shells at an axial compression and external pressure have been worked out. The results of calculation for the shells made of glass fiber-reinforced plastic and carbon fiber-reinforced plastic with multimodal imperfections and dimple imperfections have been presented. The features of transformation of the interacting modes of imperfections have been researched.