Design of anisotropic thin-walled rods consisting of flat strips of symmetrical cross section

Abstract

The approach demonstrated in [1] for deducing generalized rod models from equations for uniform and isotropic folded structures in which the strips are rigidly joined in bending was expanded to the case of symmetrical anisotropic structures. Thus, we have developed an effective approach for global structural analysis of thin-walled three-dimensional structures made of composites. Here, we examined the feasibility of using the method of initial parameters to solve the differential equations in certain special cases. In the general case, global structural analysis requires the use of powerful numerical methods. In the case of an isotropic material, use can be made of methods of solving first-order canonical differential equations or methods based on a solution obtained by means of quasi-unidimensional finite elements. The application of the last approach to the case of composite materials will be demonstrated in a future article.