A simple extrapolated predictor for overcoming the starting and tracking issues in the arc-length method for nonlinear structural mechanics

•A simple extrapolated predictor for the arc-length method based on two previous solutions.•Successfully overcomes the well-known starting and tracking issues in the arc-length method.•Negligible computational cost, and no ad hoc parameters.•Successful computation of complex equilibrium paths of non...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Engineering structures Vol. 234; p. 111755
Main Author: Kadapa, Chennakesava
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: Kidlington Elsevier Ltd 01.05.2021
Elsevier BV
Subjects:
Arc-length method
Beam-columns
Buckling
Computation
Equilibrium
Extrapolation
Finite element analysis
Finite element method
Limit points
Mathematical models
Mechanics
Mechanics (physics)
Structural stability
Tracking
Finite element analysis
Arc-length method
Structural stability
Limit points
Buckling
ISSN:0141-0296, 1873-7323
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:•A simple extrapolated predictor for the arc-length method based on two previous solutions.•Successfully overcomes the well-known starting and tracking issues in the arc-length method.•Negligible computational cost, and no ad hoc parameters.•Successful computation of complex equilibrium paths of nonlinear truss and beam models. This paper presents a simplified implementation of the arc-length method for computing the equilibrium paths of nonlinear structural mechanics problems using the finite element method. In the proposed technique, the predictor is computed by extrapolating the solutions from two previously converged load steps. The extrapolation is a linear combination of the previous solutions; therefore, it is simple and inexpensive. Additionally, the proposed extrapolated predictor also serves as a means for identifying the forward movement along the equilibrium path without the need for any sophisticated techniques commonly employed for explicit tracking. The ability of the proposed technique to successfully compute complex equilibrium paths in static structural mechanics problems is demonstrated using seven numerical examples involving truss, beam-column and shell models. The computed numerical results are in excellent agreement with the reference solutions. The present approach does not require prohibitively small increments for its success.
Bibliography:ObjectType-Article-1
SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1
ObjectType-Feature-2
content type line 14
ISSN:0141-0296
1873-7323
DOI:10.1016/j.engstruct.2020.111755