Theory of Plates and Shells
Plate is a flat surface having considerably large dimensions compared to its thickness with supports along few edges and is subjected to transverse load. For civil engineer common example of plate is a slab.
At undergraduate level students are taught design of slab by approximate methods or by using moment co-efficients given in the code, without going through how they are obtained. At the post graduate level theory of plates is taught to structural engineering students to understand actual
load transfer in plate by elastic analysis. It involves forming and solving fourth order differential equations. Shells are curved plates. The analysis of shells involves additional complexity. A design engineer should understand mechanism of load transfer and internal forces developed in the shells.
Shells are to cover large area free of columns and architects prefer them for their aesthetic appeal. A structural engineer has to learn theory of shells to design economical shell structures with more confidence.
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