A Nonlinear Approach to the Stability Analysis of Space Beam Structures

Abstract

In the context of a nonlinear stability theory of elastic structures, the geometrically nonlinear formulation of a spatial beam element (recently introduced by several authors) is reviewed for application to a perturbative approach of the post-buckling analysis of space beam grids or frames. The implementation aspects of the procedure in an iterative-incremental algorithm are discussed, and the performances of several implemented iteration strategies are brought out, with the aim of improving the usual known ones. The adopted strategy to detect and trace post-buckling equilibrium paths is then discussed. Finally, some numerical examples are used to demonstrate the characteristics and capabilities of the analytical model.