In-plane stability of arches

Classical buckling theory is mostly used to investigate the in-plane stability of arches, which assumes that the pre-buckling behaviour is linear and that the effects of pre-buckling deformations on buckling can be ignored. However, the behaviour of shallow arches becomes non-linear and the deformations are substantial prior to buckling, so that their effects on the buckling of shallow arches need to be considered. Classical buckling theory which does not consider these effects cannot correctly predict the in-plane buckling load of shallow arches. This paper investigates the in-plane buckling of circular arches with an arbitrary cross-section and subjected to a radial load uniformly distributed around the arch axis. An energy method is used to establish both non-linear equilibrium equations and buckling equilibrium equations for shallow arches. Analytical solutions for the in-plane buckling loads of shallow arches subjected to this loading regime are obtained. Approximations to the symmetric buckling of shallow arches and formulae for the in-plane anti-symmetric bifurcation buckling load of non-shallow arches are proposed, and criteria that define shallow and non-shallow arches are also stated. Comparisons with finite element results demonstrate that the solutions and indeed approximations are accurate, and that classical buckling theory can correctly predict the in-plane anti-symmetric bifurcation buckling load of non-shallow arches, but overestimates the in-plane anti-symmetric bifurcation buckling load of shallow arches significantly.     

钢管混凝土圆弧桁架拱平面内徐变稳定分析

核心混凝土的徐变会增加钢管混凝土拱肋的屈曲前变形,降低结构的稳定承载力,因此只有计入屈曲前变形的影响,才能准确得到钢管混凝土拱的徐变稳定承载力。基于圆弧形浅拱的非线性屈曲理论,采用虚功原理,建立了考虑徐变和剪切变形双重效应的管混凝土圆弧桁架拱的平面内非线性平衡方程,求得两铰和无铰桁架拱发生反对称分岔屈曲和对称跳跃屈曲的徐变稳定临界荷载。探讨了钢管混凝土桁架拱核心混凝土徐变随修正长细比、圆心角和加载龄期对该类结构弹性稳定承载力的影响,为钢管混凝土桁架拱长期设计提供理论依据。     

Long-term non-linear behaviour and buckling of shallow concrete-filled steel tubular arches

This paper presents a theoretical analysis for the long-term non-linear elastic in-plane behaviour and buckling of shallow concrete-filled steel tubular (CFST) arches. It is known that an elastic shallow arch does not buckle under a load that is lower than the critical loads for its bifurcation or limit point buckling because its buckling equilibrium configuration cannot be achieved, and the arch is in a stable equilibrium state although its structural response may be quite non-linear under the load. However, for a CFST arch under a sustained load, the visco-elastic effects of creep and shrinkage of the concrete core produce significant long-term increases in the deformations and bending moments and subsequently lead to a time-dependent change of its equilibrium configuration. Accordingly, the bifurcation point and limit point of the time-dependent equilibrium path and the corresponding buckling loads of CFST arches also change with time. When the changing time-dependent bifurcation or limit point buckling load of a CFST arch becomes equal to the sustained load, the arch may buckle in a bifurcation mode or in a limit point mode in the time domain. A virtual work method is used in the paper to investigate bifurcation and limit point buckling of shallow circular CFST arches that are subjected to a sustained uniform radial load. The algebraically tractable age-adjusted effective modulus method is used to model the time-dependent behaviour of the concrete core, based on which solutions for the prebuckling structural life time corresponding to non-linear bifurcation and limit point buckling are derived.     

Non-linear in-plane postbuckling of arches with rotational end restraints under uniform radial loading

This paper presents a thorough and comprehensive investigation of non-linear buckling and postbuckling analyses of pin-ended shallow circular arches subjected to a uniform radial load and which have equal elastic rotational end-restraints. The differential equations of equilibrium for non-linear buckling and postbuckling are established based on a virtual work approach. Exact solutions for the non-linear bifurcation, limit point and lowest buckling loads are obtained; in particular, exact solutions for the non-linear postbuckling equilibrium paths are derived. The criteria for switching between fundamental buckling and postbuckling modes are developed in terms of critical values of a geometric parameter for an arch, with exact solutions for these critical values of geometric parameter being obtained. Analytical solutions of non-linear buckling and postbuckling problems for arches with rotational end-restraints are of great interest, since they constitute one of the very few closed-form analyses of buckling and postbuckling behaviour of continuous structural systems. These exact solutions are a contribution to the non-linear structural mechanics of arches, as well as providing useful benchmark solutions for verifying non-linear numerical analyses.     

Linear and geometrically nonlinear analysis of non-uniform shallow arches under a central concentrated force

In this paper an integral equation solution to the linear and geometrically nonlinear problem of non-uniform in-plane shallow arches under a central concentrated force is presented. Arches exhibit advantageous behavior over straight beams due to their curvature which increases the overall stiffness of the structure. They can span large areas by resolving forces into mainly compressive stresses and, in turn confining tensile stresses to acceptable limits. Most arches are designed to operate linearly under service loads. However, their slenderness nature makes them susceptible to large deformations especially when the external loads increase beyond the service point. Loss of stability may occur, known also as snap-through buckling, with catastrophic consequences for the structure. Linear analysis cannot predict this type of instability and a geometrically nonlinear analysis is needed to describe efficiently the response of the arch. The aim of this work is to cope with the linear and geometrically nonlinear problem of non-uniform shallow arches under a central concentrated force. The governing equations of the problem are comprised of two nonlinear coupled partial differential equations in terms of the axial (tangential) and transverse (normal) displacements. Moreover, as the cross-sectional properties of the arch vary along its axis, the resulting coupled differential equations have variable coefficients and are solved using a robust integral equation numerical method in conjunction with the arc-length method. The latter method allows following the nonlinear equilibrium path and overcoming bifurcation and limit (turning) points, which usually appear in the nonlinear response of curved structures like shallow arches and shells. Several arches are analyzed not only to validate our proposed model, but also to investigate the nonlinear response of in-plane thin shallow arches.     

Post-buckling behavior of a fixed arch for variable geometry structures

The behavior of a bistable strut for variable geometry structures was investigated in this paper. A fixed shallow arch subjected to a central concentrated load was used to study the equilibrium path of the bistable strut. Based on a nonlinear strain–displacement relationship, the critical loads for both the symmetric snap-through and asymmetric bifurcation buckling modes were obtained. Moreover, the principal of virtual work was also used to establish the post-buckling differential equilibrium equations of the arch in the horizontal and vertical directions. Therefore, the whole mechanical behavior before and after the buckling of fixed arches is investigated.     

Nonlinear in-plane thermal buckling of rotationally restrained functionally graded carbon nanotube reinforced composite shallow arches under uniform radial loading

The nonlinear in-plane instability of functionally graded carbon nanotube reinforced composite (FG-CNTRC) shallow circular arches with rotational constraints subject to a uniform radial load in a thermal environment is investigated. Assuming arches with thickness-graded material properties, four different distribution patterns of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are considered. The classical arch theory and Donnell’s shallow shell theory assumptions are used to evaluate the arch displacement field, and the analytical solutions of buckling equilibrium equations and buckling loads are obtained by using the principle of virtual work. The critical geometric parameters are introduced to determine the criteria for buckling mode switching. Parametric studies are carried out to demonstrate the effects of temperature variations, material parameters, geometric parameters, and elastic constraints on the stability of the arch. It is found that increasing the volume fraction of CNTs and distributing CNTs away from the neutral axis significantly enhance the bending stiffness of the arch. In addition, the pretension and initial displacement caused by the temperature field have significant effects on the buckling behavior.     

Non-linear in-plane analysis and buckling of pinned–fixed shallow arches subjected to a central concentrated load

This paper is concerned with an analytical study of the non-linear elastic in-plane behaviour and buckling of pinned–fixed shallow circular arches that are subjected to a central concentrated radial load. Because the boundary conditions provided by the pinned support and fixed support of a pinned–fixed arch are quite different from those of a pinned–pinned or a fixed–fixed arch, the non-linear behaviour of a pinned–fixed arch is more complicated than that of its pinned–pinned or fixed–fixed counterpart. Analytical solutions for the non-linear equilibrium path for shallow pinned–fixed circular arches are derived. The non-linear equilibrium path for a pinned–fixed arch may have one or three unstable equilibrium paths and may include two or four limit points. This is different from pinned–pinned and fixed–fixed arches that have only two limit points. The number of limit points in the non-linear equilibrium path of a pinned–fixed arch depends on the slenderness and the included angle of the arch. The switches in terms of an arch geometry parameter, which is introduced in the paper, are derived for distinguishing between arches with two limit points and those with four limit points and for distinguishing between a pinned–fixed arch and a beam curved in-elevation. It is also shown that a pinned–fixed arch under a central concentrated load can buckle in a limit point mode, but cannot buckle in a bifurcation mode. This contrasts with the buckling behaviour of pinned–pinned or fixed–fixed arches under a central concentrated load, which may buckle both in a bifurcation mode and in a limit point mode. An analytical solution for the limit point buckling load of shallow pinned–fixed circular arches is also derived. Comparisons with finite element results show that the analytical solutions can accurately predict the non-linear buckling and postbuckling behaviour of shallow pinned–fixed arches. Although the solutions are derived for shallow pinned–fixed arches, comparisons with the finite element results demonstrate that they can also provide reasonable predictions for the buckling load of deep pinned–fixed arches under a central concentrated load.     

Thermoelastic buckling of steel columns with load-dependent supports

The in-plane elastic buckling of a steel column with load-dependent supports under thermal loading is investigated. Two elastic rotational springs at the column ends are used to model the restraints which are provided by adjacent structural members or elastic foundations. The temperature is assumed to be linearly distributed across the section. Based on a nonlinear strain–displacement relationship, both the equilibrium and buckling equations are obtained by using the energy method. Then the limits for different buckling modes and the critical temperature of columns with different cases are studied. The results show that the proposed analytical solution can be used to predict the critical temperature for elastic buckling. The effect of thermal loading on the buckling of steel columns is significant. Furthermore, the thermal gradient plays a positive role in improving the stability of columns, and the effect of thermal gradients decreases while decreasing the modified slenderness ratios of columns. It can also be found that rotational restraints can significantly affect the column elastic buckling loads. Increasing the initial stiffness coefficient α or the stiffening rate β of thermal restraints will increase the critical temperature.     

In-plane buckling of prismatic funicular arches with shear deformations

The in-plane buckling behavior of funicular arches is investigated numerically in this paper. A finite strain Timoshenko beam-type formulation that incorporates shear deformations is developed for generic funicular arches. The elastic constitutive relationships for the internal beam actions are based on a hyperelastic constitutive model, and the funicular arch equilibrium equations are derived. The problems of a submerged arch under hydrostatic pressure, a parabolic arch under gravity load and a catenary arch loaded by overburden are investigated. Buckling solutions are derived for the parabolic and catenary arch. Subsequent investigation addresses the effects of axial deformation prior to buckling and shear deformation during buckling. An approximate buckling solution is then obtained based on the maximum axial force in the arch. The obtained buckling solutions are compared with the numerical solutions of Dinnik (Stability of arches, 1946) [1] and the finite element package ANSYS. The effects of shear deformation are also evaluated.     

An eigenanalysis-based bifurcation indicator proposed in the framework of a reduced-order modeling technique for non-linear structural analysis

The Koiter–Newton method is a reduced order modeling technique which allows us to trace efficiently the entire equilibrium path of a non-linear structural analysis. In the framework of buckling the method is capable to handle snap-back and snap-through phenomena but may fail to predict reliably bifurcation branches along the equilibrium path. In this contribution we extend the original Koiter–Newton approach with a reliable and accurate bifurcation indicator which is based on an eigenanalysis of the reduced order tangent stiffness matrix. The proposed indicator has a negligible numerical effort since all computations refer to the reduced order model which is typically of very small dimension. The extension allows the identification of bifurcation points and a tracing of corresponding bifurcation branches in each sector of the equilibrium path. The performance of the method in terms of reliability, accuracy and computational effort is demonstrated with several examples.     

倒三角形截面板管连接式钢圆弧拱在平面内的稳定承载力研究

采用理论推导与数值模拟相结合的方法,对倒三角形截面板管连接式钢圆弧拱在平面内的弹性屈曲和弹塑性屈曲进行了深入研究.首先,理论推导了拱的截面剪切刚度,并提出了拱在全跨均布径向荷载作用下的弹性屈曲公式.此外,还提出了避免连接板和弦杆在拱发生整体弹性失稳之前发生局部失稳的限制条件.然后,分别研究了在全跨均布径向荷载和全跨均布...     

Optimal Forms of Shallow Arches with Respect to Vibration and Stability

Shallow, linearly elastic arches of unspecified form but with given uniform cross section and material are considered. For given span and length of the arch, two different optimization problems are formulated and solved. In the first, we determine the form of the arch which maximizes the fundamental vibration frequency. The corresponding vibration mode turns out to be either symmetric or antisymmetric. In the second, a static load with given spatial distribution is considered, and the critical value of the load magnitude for snap-through instability is maximized. This instability may occur at a limit point or a bifurcation point. Optimal forms are determined for sinusoidal loading, uniform loading, and a central concentrated load. In both types of problems, arches with simply supported or clamped ends are considered, and the maximum frequencies and critical loads obtained are compared to those for a circular arch with similar end conditions. In all the cases with simply supported ends, it is found that a circular arch is almost optimal. For clamped ends, however, it turns out that the optimal arches have zero slope at the ends and that they are much more efficient than a circular arch.     

In-plane free vibration and stability of loaded and shear-deformable circular arches

The first known equations governing vibrations of preloaded, shear-deformable circular arches are derived according to a variational principle for dynamic problems concerning an elastic body under equilibrium initial stresses. The equations are three partial differential equations with variable coefficients. The governing equations are solved for arches statically preloaded with a uniformly distributed vertical loading, by obtaining a static, closed-form solution and an analytical dynamic solution from series solutions and dynamic stiffness matrices. Convergence to accurate results is obtained by increasing the number of elements or by increasing both the number of terms in the series solution and the number of terms in the Taylor expansion of the variable coefficients. Graphs of non-dimensional frequencies and buckling loads are presented for preloaded clamped arches. They clarify the effects of opening angle and thickness-to-radius ratio on vibration frequencies and buckling loads. The effects of static deformations on vibration frequencies are also investigated. This work also compares the results obtained from the proposed governing equations with those obtained from the classical theory neglecting shear deformation.     

Direct Stiffness Analysis of Lateral Buckling

Abstract

A direct stiffness method of analyzing the elastic ftexural-torsional buckling of rigid-jointed plane frames composed of l-section members and subjected to in-plane loads is presented. The in-plane stiffness matrix and the fixed-end resultants are obtained from the member stiffness matrices derived from the in-plane differential equations. These member stiffness matrices are assembled and solved, and their solutions are used to linearize the flexural-torsional buckling equations. The out-of-plane member stiffness matrices are then obtained numerically from the buckling equations by the method of finite integrals. The out-of-plane frame -stiffness matrix is assembled, and the critical loads are obtained when its determinant is zero. A computer program is developed which carries out either a first- or second-order in-plane analysis, and then determines the flexural-torsional buckling loads. The effects of in-plane deformations prior to buckling can be included. Very good agreement is obtained between the results computed by this program and known solutions, and its ability to analyze large complex frames is demonstrated.     

受弯脱层层板的局部失稳临界载荷的有限元分析

含脱层的复合材料层板承受弯曲载荷作用会产生跳跃失稳，还常常引起脱层扩展，从而导致结构失效。本文用基于一阶剪切层板理论的几何非线性有限单元法分析了受弯曲曲载荷作用下含脱层板的人稳的临界载荷。本文指出分叉失稳产生了跳跃失稳，而该跳跃失稳与浅圆拱或薄圆柱壳受向心压力作用下的跳跌 同，在整体平衡路径上没有一个极限点。本文对临界载计算结果比使用能量准则的结果要小，文中给出了原因。     

圆弧拱考虑一般缺陷的面内屈曲

研究了几何缺陷、荷载非均匀分布和支座沉陷对圆弧拱面内屈曲的影响.基于能量的变分原理推导了考虑缺陷的微分方程,得到了外荷载和轴力的关系式以及径向位移的表达式.从微分方程出发用摄动法对屈曲荷载的缺陷敏感性进行了分析,得到了屈曲荷载的近似表达式.结果表明近似解与精确解吻合良好;正对称屈曲荷载对正对称缺陷参数十分敏感;反对称缺陷参数对反对称屈曲荷载影响显著而正对称缺陷参数影响很小.     

Buckling of structures with finite prebuckling deformations—a perturbation,finite element analysis

In some technically important structures, finite prebuckling displacements have a profound effect on the bifurcation load. To ignore these displacements, as is done in most instability analyses, is to invite major errors, usually on the unsafe side. A method is presented which approximates this effect without the necessity of solving nonlinear equations. The general theory is developed for any elastic body under conservative loads. The governing equations are subsequently discretized by a finite element approach and it is shown that for planar framed structures, the second order approximation to the buckling load can be found in terms of the standard linear and geometric stiffness matrices of structural analysis; the solution procedure does not require iterations. For illustrative purposes, a computer program was developed for planar structures and the results are compared to the exact solution for the buckling of shallow circular arches.     

Dynamic buckling of a shallow arch under shock loading considering the effects of the arch shape

In this paper, the influence of the initial curvature of thin shallow arches on the dynamic pulse buckling load is examined. Using numerical means and a multi-dof semi-analytical model, both quasi-static and non-linear transient dynamical analyzes are performed. The influence of various parameters, such as pulse duration, damping and, especially, the arch shape is illustrated. Moreover, the results are numerically validated through a comparison with results obtained using finite element modeling. The main results are firstly that the critical shock level can be significantly increased by optimizing the arch shape and secondly, that geometric imperfections have only a mild influence on these results. Furthermore, by comparing the sensitivities of the static and dynamic buckling loads with respect to the arch shape, non-trivial quantitative correspondences are found.