A synthesis of recent progress is presented on a topic that lies at the heart of both structural
engineering and non-linear science. The emphasis is on thin elastic structures that lose …

This paper addresses testing of compressed structures, such as shells, that exhibit
catastrophic buckling and notorious imperfection sensitivity. The central concept is the …

Shell buckling is central in many biological structures and advanced functional materials,
even if, traditionally, this elastic instability has been regarded as a catastrophic phenomenon …

We investigate the mechanics of bistable, hard-magnetic, elastic beams, combining
experiments, finite-element modelling (FEM) and a reduced-order theory. The beam is made …

Mechanical bistable structures have two stable equilibria and can transit between them
under external stimuli. Due to their unique behaviors such as snap-through and substantial …

The elastic buckling of shell structures such as spherical shells subject to external pressure
and cylindrical shells loaded in axial compression is highly sensitive to imperfections and …

The collapse of axially compressed cylinders by buckling instability is a classic problem in
engineering mechanics. We revisit the problem by considering fully localized post-buckling …

We propose a comprehensive Isogeometric Kirchhoff–Love shell framework that is capable
of undergoing large elasto-plastic deformations. Central to this development, we reformulate …

In this paper a physically based and deterministic design procedure for spherical shells
under external pressure is introduced. Within the new design concept the membrane energy …

Structures that significantly and rapidly change their shapes and sizes upon external stimuli
have widespread applications in a diversity of areas. The ability to miniaturize these …