Acknowledgement -- Table of Contents -- List of Appendices -- Summary -- Samenvatting -- List of symbols -- 1 Introduction -- 2 General part on shell theory -- 3 Computational method and analysis method -- 4 Circular cylindrical shells -- 5 Chimney - Numerical results and parametric study -- 6 Tank - Numerical study -- 7 Conclusions -- Appendices -- Appendix A Results from differential geometry of a surface -- Appendix B Kinematical relation in orthogonal curvilinear coordinates -- Appendix C Equilibrium equations in curvilinear coordinates -- Appendix D Strain energy and Laplace- Beltrami operator -- Appendix E Expressions and derivation of the stiffness matrix for the elastostatic behaviour of a circular ring -- Appendix F Ring equations comparison -- Appendix G Semi-membrane concept -- Appendix H Solution to MK and SMC equations -- Appendix I Back substitution for MK and SMC solutions -- Appendix J Program solution for influence of stiffening rings -- Literature -- Curriculum Vitae.