Finite element analysis of large displacements in flexural systems

Abstract

The fictitious load procedure developed for prismatic beam elements by Kohnke[1] is compared to the widely used general procedure outlined by Zienkiewicz[2]. Applied to a problem involving only axial strains the two methods are found to yield practically identical results. Applied to a problem involving flexural effects, on the other hand, the general method performs poorly. This is found to be owing to the lack of any allowance for large displacements in the evaluation of the flexural strains. A simple means of making such allowance is then proposed and found to greatly improve the results given by the general incremental method.