Limit and burst pressures for cylindrical shells with part-through slots

Pressure tests on aluminium alloy cylindrical shells having rectangular slots part through the wall thickness at mid-length were carried out to estimate plastic limit pressures for comparison with calculated lower bound limit pressures. The tests were continued to failure so that the results could be used in consideration of the ‘two criteria’ method of assessing the pressure carrying capacity of shells with defects. Twelve shells, nominally 5·5 in diameter and of different thicknesses, were tested. One had no slot, others had slots of different depths and side ratios.