Civil Engineering Association

Shell-like Structures: Non-classical Theories and Applications (Advanced Structured Materials)

Shell-like structures are used in Civil and Aero-space engineering as basic structural elements. As a model of analysis are also used such structures in other branches, e.g. Mechanical engineering, but also in new branches like Medicine and Biology. New applications are primarily related to new materials—instead of steel or concrete, now one has to analyze laminates, foams, functionally graded materials, nanofilms, biological membranes, soft tissues, etc. The new trends in applications demand the improvements of the theoretical foundations of shell theory, since new effects must be taken into account. For example, in the case of small-size shell-like structures (thin films, multiwalled nanotubes) the surface effect plays an important role in the mechanical analysis of these structural elements.
Scientific meetings like conferences or colloquia are regularly organized by civil engineers, mathematicians, etc. Within the EUROMECH Colloquium 527 Shell-like structures – Non-classical Theories and Applications, which will bring together specialists from different areas, various items related to the colloquium title are discussed by international experts. The forum was addressed to scientists and researchers from industries. The focus was related to the following problems: new theories (based on two-dimensional field equations but describing non-classical effects), mathematical methods, e.g. the asymptotical analysis, new constitutive equations (for materials like sandwiches, foams, biological membranes, etc. and which can be combined with the two-dimensional shell equations), complex structures (folded, branching and/or self-intersecting shell structures, etc.) and shell-like structures on different scales (thin- and nanofilms, nanotubes, and nanoparticles) or very thin structures (similar to membranes, but with bending stiffness). In addition, coupled effects, phase transitions in shells and refined shell thermodynamics are discussed.