The use of complex valued functions for the solution of three-dimensional elasticity problems

For the treatment of plane elasticity problems the use of complex functions has turned out to be an elegant and effective method. The complex formulation of stresses and displacements resulted from the introduction of a real stress function which has to satisfy the 2-dimensional biharmonic equation. It can be expressed therefore with the aid of complex functions. In this paper the fundamental idea of characterizing the elasticity problem in the case of zero body forces by a biharmonic stress function represented by complex valued functions is extended to 3-dimensional problems. The complex formulas are derived in such a way that the Muskhelishvili formulation for plane strain is included as a special case. As in the plane case, arbitrary complex valued functions can be used to ensure the satisfaction of the governing equations. Within the solution of an analytical example some advantages of the presented method are illustrated.     

Stress solutions to the three-dimensional problem of elasticity

New representations of the stress tensor in the linear theory of elasticity and thermoelasticity are proposed. These representations satisfy the equilibrium equations and the strain compatibility equation. The stress tensor is expressed in terms of a harmonic tensor or a harmonic vector. The second boundary-value problem for an elastic half-space and an elastic layer is solved as an example __________ Translated from Prikladnaya Mekhanika, Vol. 42, No. 8, pp. 3–35, August 2006.     

Revisiting displacement functions in three-dimensional elasticity of inhomogeneous media

The paper presents a three-dimensional solution to the equilibrium equations for linear elastic transversely isotropic inhomogeneous media. We assume that the material has constant Poisson’s ratios, and its Young’s and shear moduli have the same functional form of dependence on the co-ordinate normal to the plane of isotropy. We show, apparently for the first time, that stresses and displacements in such an inhomogeneous transversely isotropic elastic solid can be represented in terms of two displacement functions which satisfy the second- and fourth-order partial differential equations. We examine and discuss key aspects of the new representation; they include the relationship between the new displacement functions and Plevako’s solution for isotropic inhomogeneous material with constant Poisson’s ratio as well as the application of the new representation to some important classes of three-dimensional elasticity problems. As an example, the displacement function is derived that can be used to determine stresses and displacements in an inhomogeneous transversely isotropic half-space which is subjected to a concentrated force normal to a free surface and applied at the origin (Boussinesq’s problem).     

On Saint-Venant's principle in three-dimensional elasticity

Summary Toupin's version of Saint-Venant's principle is extended to bodies of general shape, and an exponential upper bound for the strain energy is obtained. The rate of decay is shnow to depend on the first non-zero proper value of the Steklov problem formulated on suitable parts of the body.

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Sommario Si estende a corpi di forma qualsiasi la formulazione di Toupin del principio di de Saint Venant, ottenendo una maggiorazione di tipo esponenziale per l'energia di deformazione. Si dimostra che la velocità di estinzione dipende dal primo autovalore del problema di Steklov formulato su parti opportune del corpo.

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This research was supported in part by the C.N.R., Gruppo Nazionale per la Fisica Matematica.     

Semi-analytical three-dimensional elasticity solutions for generally laminated composite plates

Semi-analytical solutions for bending and free vibration of composite laminated plates have been derived based on three-dimensional elasticity theory using a newly developed hybrid analysis, which perfectly combines the state space approach (SSA) and the technique of differential quadrature (DQ). The thickness direction of laminates is selected as the transfer direction in SSA, and the DQ technique is employed to discretize the in-plane domains. This actualizes the transformation of the original partial differential equations into a state equation consisting of first-order ordinary differential equations. In particular, the use of DQ technique makes ease of the treatment of various boundary conditions, which cannot be considered in the conventional exact SSA. To avoid numerical instabilities in the conventional transfer matrix method, artificial interfaces are introduced to divide each layer into several sub-layers to reduce the transfer distance and the joint coupling matrices are established according to the continuity conditions at actual and artificial interfaces to implement the global analysis. Comprehensive numerical examples are preformed to validate the present hybrid method. Effects of some parameters on mechanical properties of the laminates are discussed.     

On Saint-Venant's Principle in three-dimensional nonlinear elasticity

Consider a long elastic isotropic beam with a convex cross-section and a sufficiently smooth boundary. Suppose that a self-equilibrated load is applied at each end but the sides are stress-free and there are no internal body forces. It is proved in the context of three-dimensional, nonlinear elastostatics that if the first four derivatives of the displacement vector are a priori assumed to be everywhere sufficiently small with respect to the physical constants and the geometry of the cross-section, then the strains at any point decay exponentially with the distance of the point from the nearest end.This result is an extension of known results on Saint-Venant's Principle in linear and two-dimensional nonlinear elasticity.     

On a representation of the solution of the linear elasticity equations

A new representation of the stress tensor in the linear theory of elasticity is proposed. The representation satisfies the equilibrium equations and the compatibility conditions for strains. In this representation, the stress tensor is expressed in terms of a harmonic vector. The second boundary-value problem for an elastic half-space and elastic layer is considered as an example.Translated from Prikladnaya Mekhanika, Vol. 40, No. 11, pp. 85–91, November 2004.This revised version was published online in April 2005 with a corrected cover date.     

Formulas for the general complex representation in the plane micropolar theory of elasticity

Several formulas for the general complex representation in the plane micropolar theory of elasticity are obtained with consideration of volume loads in nonisothermal processes.     

Asymptotics of solutions of the three-dimensional elasticity equations for compressible and incompressible bodies

We analyze the leading terms in the general asymptotic expansions of solutions of the first boundary value problem of three-dimensional elasticity in displacements. The cases of compressible and incompressible bodies, which have substantially different statements, are considered separately. The minimum-to-maximum ratio of characteristic dimensions of the elastic body is a natural small asymptotic parameter. The third dimension can be of any “intermediate” order, including the endpoints. For example, such a geometry is typical of bodies that simultaneously have characteristic macro-, micro-, and nano-dimensions in three coordinate axes.     

On material representation and constitutive branching in finite compressible elasticity

The mechanical properties of two porous rubbers of different compressibility have been investigated experimentally and represented by aid of a particular isotropic strain-energy function constructed by means of separable distortional and dilatational terms. It is shown that a reduced form of the adopted strain-energy function offers definite advantages for evaluation of experimental data and reproduces well the behaviour of the investigated materials under three different loadings; uniaxial tension, plane strain tension and equibiaxial tension. The possibility of homogeneous branching from fundamental paths of the associated motions is examined and illustrated in detail for axisymmetric loading employing constitutive properties pertinent to the two materials tested.     

On a class of exact solutions in nonlinear elasticity

A class of exact solutions to the equations of nonlinear elasticity that occur at constant pressure on the boundary of the body and null Cauchy deviatoric stress is presented. Stability analysis shows that the solutions in this class are at best neutrally stable.     

On the complex variable displacement method in plane isotropic elasticity

A modified formulation of the complex variable displacement method in plane isotropic elasticity is presented. It makes use of two equations deduced from the planar Navier equations in terms of the complex variable, which differs from England’s original formulation based on only one equation. This formulation is more direct and complements the one by England.     

On two models of arbitrarily curved three-dimensional thin interphases in elasticity

In boundary value problems involving thin interphases, it is often desirable to have a model of an interphase which makes possible to solve for the fields in the adjacent media without having to solve for the fields in it. This is usually achieved in the literature by replacing the interphase by a geometrical surface with appropriately designed “imperfect interface” conditions on it. In the present study, carried out in the setting of elasticity, another option is explored: the geometry of the interphase is left intact, and conditions are devised for the displacements and tractions pertaining to the media adjacent to the interphase and evaluated at both sides of it such that they will simulate the presence of the interphase. Those conditions do not involve the fields within the interphase, yet they depend on its material properties and on those of the adjacent media as well, and make possible to solve for the fields in the adjacent media without having to solve for the fields in the interphase. The formulation is given in a parallel orthogonal curvilinear coordinate system suitable for the modeling arbitrarily curved three-dimensional interphases of constant thickness. Both types of the above described interphase models are tested in the setting of a coated infinite fiber embedded in a matrix which is subjected to an anti-plane shear loading and an in-plane transverse shear loading at infinity, and their predictions are compared with the exact solutions for the fields in the three-phase configuration consisting of the interphase and its adjacent media. The model in which the interphase geometry is left intact is observed to perform generally better than the one in which the interphase is replaced by an interface.     

On the convergence of the semi-discrete incremental method in nonlinear,three-dimensional,elasticity

The effect of the application of an incremental method is the approximation of the three-dimensional nonlinear equations of finite elasticity by a sequence of linear problems. We give here sufficient conditions which guarantee the convergence of such a method.     

Thermal stresses in plane elasticity: Numerical solutions based only on harmonic functions

Summary A theoretical treatment is outlined allowing solution of thermal stress problems in plane elasticity by using only numerical methods suited to solving — in 2 D — the Laplace equation. Only one type of element matrix (supposing for the sake of simplicity F.E.M.s are used) and only one mesh would thus be required, both for the determination of the thermal field and of the displacement/stress field. The numerical solutions required in the plane domain of interest entail, consequently, only one variable per node in place of two. Even if numerous unit solutions are required in order to impose arbitrary boundary conditions, this reduction of nodal variables allows to spend less computation time in solving linear systems, at least for problems of a certain extent.

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Sommario Si delinea una tecnica che permette di risolvere i problemi di coazioni termiche in elasticità piana facendo uso solo di metodi numerici atti a risolvere l'equazione di Laplace. Un solo tipo di matrice degli elementi (nel caso si usi una formulazione a E. F.) e una sola reticolazione sono pertanto richiesti tanto per il problema termico come per quello elastico. Ne consegue altresì il vantaggio che le soluzioni numeriche richieste nel dominio di interesse cornportano una sola variabile per nodo, anzichè due; anche tenuto conto che sono richieste numerose soluzioni unitarie per poter imporre condizioni al contorno comunque definite, ne deriva per problemi di una certa ampiezza una riduzione del tempo di calcolo speso nella soluzione di sistemi.