Structural Engineering and Mechanics
Volume 12, Number 1, 2001, pages 35-50
DOI: 10.12989/sem.2001.12.1.035
Analysis of slender structural elements under unilateral contact constaints
Ricardo Azoubel da Mota Silveira and Paulo Batista Goncalves(Brazil)
Abstract
A numerical methodology is presented in this paper for the geometrically non-linear analysis<br />of slender uni-dimensional structural elements under unilateral contact constraints. The finite element method<br />together with an updated Lagrangian formulation is used to study the structural system. The unilateral<br />constraints are imposed by tensionless supports or foundations. At each load step, in order to obtain the<br />contact regions, the equilibrium equations are linearized and the contact problem is treated directly as a<br />minimisation problem with inequality constraints, resulting in a linear complementarity problem (LCP).<br />After the resulting LCP is solved by Lemke
Key Words
unilateral constraints; incremental-iterative strategies; geometric non-linearity; updated Lagrangian formulation; linear complementary problem.
Address
Ricardo Azoubel da Mota Silveira, Civil Engineering Department, Federal University of Ouro Preto (UFOP) Morro do Cruzeiro-Campus Universitario, 35400-000 Ouro Preto, MG, Brazil<br />Paulo Batista Goncalves, Civil Engineering Department, Catholic University, PUC-Rio Rua Marques de Sao Vicente, 225 - Gavea, 22453-900 Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil