Beles and Soare 1966 have reported buckling failure of shells.
Unlike shells of positive curvature that are subject to buckling, in
shells of negative curvature, such as hyperbolic paraboloids,
buckling is prevented through the tension curvature in the other
direction. Virtually all studies on shell buckling have focused on
cylindrical, conical, and spherical shells made of metals, and usually
on full 360° models rather than the much more complex
architectural shells. Buckling of spherical shells has been studied
for radial compressive loads. Cylinders and cones have been studied
for radial compressive loads, axial, and shear twisting loads.
Shallow spherical shells have been extensively tested for snapthrough
or ‘‘oil-canning’’ buckling. Applicability of these tests to
large-scale concrete shells, however, is questionable. Initial imperfections
in shells can result in their buckling at loads far below
their theoretical capacity. Once a shell buckles, its collapse tends
to be complete, contrary to plates, which have high post-buckling
capacity.