Study of modern software capabilities for complex shell analysis

Relevance. In design and calculation of civil engineering structures, several standard commercial software packages, which are successfully applied to solve everyday engineering problems, are traditionally used. However, when it is necessary to design the models of complex shape shell structures with defining surfaces based on parametric equations, such programs often have certain drawbacks. The aim of the work - analysis of existing types of commercial computational software packages in order to check which allow to design finite element models for shell structures with median surfaces of complex geometry given by parametric equations. Methods. The analysis of commercial computational software packages is carried out by studying the software manuals, and by building and calculating a model in the shape of a right helicoid as a test example. To evaluate the results of the stress-strain state of a shell with a middle surface in the form of a right helicoid, an analytical calculation method based on the Reissner’s equations and Fourier series expansion is used. Results. A review of modern commercial computational software packages as applied to models defined by parametric equations is carried out. A model for a shell structure with a median surface in the form of right helicoid is built. The numerical results of stress-strain behavior of the right helicoid are obtained and analyzed in comparison with the analytical solutions obtained using the Reissner’s equations with Fourier series expansion. The pros and cons of several popular means of software are presented.