Inverse formulation for geometrically exact stress resultant shells

The inverse elastostatic method deals with a class of problems in which a deformed configuration of an elastic body is known while the initial stress-free configuration or the stress in the deformed state is to be determined. The method is imperative for certain problems in engineering applications. Computational methods of inverse elastostatics have been established for elastic continua. In this paper, we present an inverse method for thin-wall structures modeled as geometrically exact stress resultant shells. The theoretical basis and the details of implementation are discussed. Numerical examples involving both isotopic and anisotropic materials are presented. The practical utility of the method is demonstrated using an example of human aneurysm stress analysis.