Post-buckling analysis of Timoshenko beams with temperature-dependent physical properties under uniform thermal loading

Post-buckling behavior of Timoshenko beams subjected to uniform temperature rising with temperature dependent physical properties are studied in this paper by using the total Lagrangian Timoshenko beam element approximation. The beam is clamped at both ends. In the case of beams with immovable ends, temperature rise causes compressible forces end therefore buckling and post-buckling phenomena occurs. It is known that post-buckling problems are geometrically nonlinear problems. Also, the material properties (Young\'s modulus, coefficient of thermal expansion, yield stress) are temperature dependent: That is the coefficients of the governing equations are not constant in this study. This situation suggests the physical nonlinearity of the problem. Hence, the considered problem is both geometrically and physically nonlinear. The considered highly non-linear problem is solved considering full geometric non-linearity by using incremental displacement-based finite element method in conjunction with Newton- Raphson iteration method. The beams considered in numerical examples are made of Austenitic Stainless Steel (316). The convergence studies are made. In this study, the difference between temperature dependent and independent physical properties are investigated in detail in post-buckling case. The relationships between deflections, thermal post-buckling configuration, critical buckling temperature, maximum stresses of the beams and temperature rising are illustrated in detail in post-buckling case.