Geometric and Material Nonlinear Analyses of Trusses Subjected to Thermomechanical Loads

Abstract

In this article, geometric and material nonlinear analyses of planar and space trusses subjected to thermo-mechanical loads are performed using the Total Lagrangian formulation. The material properties are Thermally InDependent (TID). By obtaining the equilibrium path of these structures, their buckling and post-buckling behaviors are predicted under thermal and mechanical loads. To consider material nonlinearity, a mixed isotropic–kinematic hardening criterion is developed in this formulation. The behavior of material is assumed to be bilinear. To solve nonlinear equations iteratively, the Generalized Displacement Control Method (GDCM) is used. The authors’ scheme is general and can be employed for different types of planar and spatial truss structures having complicated geometries and behaviors. Several popular benchmarks are considered to show the accuracy and correctness of the proposed formulation. Corresponding equilibrium paths and stress–strain curves are reported for each problem.