In order to study the strain characteristics and bearing capacity of a filament-wound composite cylindrical shell and its different dome structures under hydrostatic pressure, experiments were carried out. Firstly, static tests were conducted to study the axial and circumferential strain of the composite cylindrical shell on its different positions. The bearing capacity of the ellipsoid dome was compared with that of the hemisphere dome. The blasting test and the nonlinear analysis of the strain were conducted. The relationship between the strain trend and the crack propagation path was studied, and the structural failure mode was explored. The study shows that as the hydrostatic pressure increases, the strain increases and that the strain amplitudes of measuring points gradually appear different and show varying degrees of nonlinearity. Along the circumferential direction of the circumferential crack, the axial strain amplitude gradually decreases by 20%. But the circumferential strain amplitude gradually increases by 94%. As the load of the composite cylindrical shell increases to a certain extent, its final failure mode is strength failure, but its instability is not obvious.

Ice caves exist in locations where annual average air temperature is higher than 0 °C. An example is Ningwu ice cave, Shanxi Province, the largest ice cave in China. In order to quantitatively investigate the mechanism of formation and preservation of the ice cave, we use the finite-element method to simulate the heat transfer process at this ice cave. There are two major control factors. First, there is the seasonal asymmetric heat transfer. Heat is transferred into the ice cave from outside very inefficiently by conduction in spring, summer and fall. In winter, thermal convection occurs that transfers heat very efficiently out of the ice cave, thus cooling it down. Secondly, ice–water phase change provides a heat barrier for heat transfer into the cave in summer. The calculation also helps to evaluate effects of global warming, tourists, colored lights, climatic conditions, etc. for sustainable development of the ice cave as a tourism resource. In some other ice caves in China, managers have installed airtight doors at these ice caves' entrances with the intention of "protecting" these caves, but this in fact prevents cooling in winter and these cave ices will entirely melt within tens of years.