On the solution of mode jumping phenomena in thin-walled shell structures Original Research Article

s paper is an investigation into the merits of an hybrid procedure for the numerical simulation of transient buckling problems. The procedure consists of the combination of a classical path-following method with a transient integration method where the first method is used for the quasi static (stable) parts of the simulation and the second method for the parts of the simulation that belong to the transient domain. It is shown that the success of the procedure is guaranteed by a proper formulation of the so-called matching conditions that define the transition from one mode of operation to the other. The chosen strategy turns out to be very robust and it has as an added advantage that it can be applied with relative ease. The power of the approach is demonstrated with the presentation of two simulations: The mode jumping problem of a plate strip and the collapse of a thin-walled composite cylinder in compression.