Abstract: The NASA Engineering Safety Center (NESC) Shell Buckling Knockdown Factor Project (SBKF) was established in 2007 by the NESC with the primary objective to develop analysis-based buckling design factors and guidelines for metallic and composite launch-vehicle structures.1 A secondary objective of the project is to advance technologies that have the potential to increase the structural efficiency of launch-vehicles. The SBKF Project has determined that weld-land stiffness discontinuities can si…