Elastic shells are pervasive in everyday life. Examples of these thin-walled structures range from automobile hoods to basketballs, veins and arteries, and soft drink cans. This book explains shell theory, with numerous examples and applications. This second edition not only brings all the material of the first edition entirely up to date; it also adds two entirely new chapters on general shell theory and general membrane theory. Aerospace, mechanical, and civil engineers, as well as applied mathematicians, will find this book a clearly written and thorough information source on shell theory.

Preface; Preface to the second edition; 1. Introduction; 2. The generic equations of 3-dimensional continuum mechanics; 3. Longitudinal motion of straight rods with bi-symmetric cross-sections (birods); 4. Cylindrical motion of infinite cylindrical shells (beamshells); 5. Torsionless, axisymmetric motion of shells of revolution (axishells); 6. Shells suffering 1-dimensional strains (unishells); 7. General nonlinear membrane theory (including wrinkling); 8. General shells; Appendices; References.