Abstract
The linearly elastic and orthotropic Saint-Venant beam model, with a spatially constant Poisson tensor and fiberwise homogeneous elastic moduli, is investigated by a coordinate-free approach. A careful reasoning reveals that the elastic strain, fulfilling the whole set of differential conditions of integrability and a differential condition imposed by equilibrium, is defined on the whole ambient space in which the beam is immersed. At this stage the shape of the beam cross-section is inessential and Cesaro-Volterra formula provides the general integral of the differential conditions of kinematic compatibility. The cross-section geometrical shape comes into play only when differential and boundary equilibrium conditions are imposed to evaluate the warping displacement field. The treatment of an orthotropic Saint-Venant beam is applied to investigate about the locations of the shear and twist centres. It is shown that the position of the shear centre can be expressed in terms of the sole cross-section twist warping. The advantage with respect to treatments in the literature is that the solution of a single Neumann-like problem is required.
Published Version
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