Generalized stress/strain rate relations for creep of thin shells; a comparison of “exact” and approximate relations

A set of approximate generalized stress/strain rate relations which has been used for the stationary creep analysis of thin shells is compared with the corresponding ‘exact’ relations. The comparison is made by computing the functions from which the relations are derived and plotting the corresponding surfaces. Results are included for a limiting condition in which the stress/strain rate relations become those for a rigid-plastic material obeying the von Mises yield condition and associated flow rule. Although the comparison is made only for conditions valid in a cylindrical shell under rotationally symmetric loading, it indicates the errors which are likely to occur when the approximate relations are used in stationary creep analysis.