Restrictions on nonlinear constitutive equations for elastic rods

Constitutive equations for the resultant forces and moments applied to a rod-like body necessarily couple the influences of the rod geometry and the constitutive nature of the three-dimensional material from which the rod was constructed. Consequently, even when the nonlinear constitutive equation of the three-dimensional material is known, the influence of the rod geometry on the constitutive response of the rod is not known. The main objective of this paper is to develop restrictions on the constitutive equations of nonlinear elastic rods which ensure that exact solutions of the rod equations are consistent with exact nonlinear solutions of the three-dimensional equations for all homogeneous deformations. Since these restrictions are nonlinear in nature they provide valuable general theoretical guidance for specific constitutive assumptions about the coupling of material and geometric properties of rods. Also, an example of a straight beam clamped at one end and subjected to a shear force at the other end is used to examine the validity of the proposed value for the transverse shear deformation coefficient.