Geometrically Nonlinear Analysis of Plane Trussese and Frames

Nonlinear structural behaviour is considerably more complex than linear behaviour. For example, the principle of superposition does not hold in nonlinear analysis. While linear structural analysis is fairly standardised and therefore readily supported with computers, nonlinear analysis is not standardised because it is not a prominent part of the traditional education of civil engineers. It is difficult to evaluate the theoretical foundation of much of the commercial software for nonlinear analysis. The authors aim to develop a generalised approach for the nonlinear analysis of structures containing all types of structural components. This book covers a first part of this topic: the geometrically nonlinear analysis of plane trusses and frames. The theory is derived by specialisation of the general theory of elasticity. This approach can be extended to other types of structural components. The numerical solution of the governing equations is treated as an initial value problem. A special theory is developed for the detection of singular configurations and for the continuation of load paths at singular points. The method of implementation of the theory by means of software with a suitable data base, algorithmic structure and graphical user interface is presented as an integral part of the contents.