Developed Mathematical Model for Indeterminate Elements with Variable Inertia and Curved Elements with Constant Cross-Section

Abstract

Issues such as analysis of indeterminate structural elements that have variable inertia as well as a curved shape still have no closed form solution and are considered one of the major problems faced by design engineers. One method to cope with these issues is by using suitable the finite element (FE) software for analyzing these types of elements. Although it saves time, utilization of FE programs still needs professional users and not all engineers are familiar with it. This paper has two main objectives; first, to develop simple mathematical models for analyzing indeterminate structural elements with variable inertia and that have a curved shape with constant cross section, this model is much easier to be used by engineers compared to the FE model. For simplicity and saving time, a MATLAB program is developed based on investigated mathematical models. The force method combined with numerical integration technique is used to develop these models. The developed mathematical models are verified using the suitable FE software; good agreement was observed between the mathematical and the FE model. The second objective is to introduce a mathematical formula to determine the accurate number of divisions that would be used in the mathematical models. The study proves that the accuracy of analysis depends on the number of divisions used in the numerical integration. The optimum number of divisions is obtained by comparing the output results for both FE and developed mathematical models. The developed mathematical models show a good agreement with FE results with faster processing time and easier usage.