• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.35-50
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• 2001

A numerical methodology is presented in this paper for the geometrically non-linear analysis of slender uni-dimensional structural elements under unilateral contact constraints. The finite element method together with an updated Lagrangian formulation is used to study the structural system. The unilateral constraints are imposed by tensionless supports or foundations. At each load step, in order to obtain the contact regions, the equilibrium equations are linearized and the contact problem is treated directly as a minimisation problem with inequality constraints, resulting in a linear complementarity problem (LCP). After the resulting LCP is solved by Lemke's pivoting algorithm, the contact regions are identified and the Newton-Raphson method is used together with path following methods to obtain the new contact forces and equilibrium configurations. The proposed methodology is illustrated by two examples and the results are compared with numerical and experimental results found in literature.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.197-222
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• 2006

In this paper, the non-linear time-dependent closed-form, discrete and combined solutions for the post-elastic response of a geometrically and physically non-linear suspended cable to a uniformly distributed load considering the creep effects, are presented. The time-dependent closed-form method for the particularly straightforward determination of a vertical uniformly distributed load applied over the entire span of a cable and the accompanying deflection at time t corresponding to the elastic limit and/or to the elastic region, post-elastic and failure range of a suspended cable is described. The actual stress-strain properties of steel cables as well as creep of cables and their rheological characteristics are considered. In this solution, applying the Irvine's theory, the direct use of experimental data, such as the actual stress-strain and strain-time properties of high-strength steel cables, is implemented. The results obtained by the closed-form solution, i.e., a load corresponding to the elastic limit, post-elastic and failure range at time t, enable the direct use in the discrete non-linear time-dependent post-elastic analysis of a suspended cable. This initial value of load is necessary for the non-linear time-dependent elastic and post-elastic discrete analysis, concerning incremental and iterative solution strategies with tangent modulus concept. At each time step, the suspended cable is analyzed under the applied load and imposed deformations originated due to creep. This combined time-dependent approach, based on the closed-form solution and on the FEM, allows a prediction of the required load that occurs in the post-elastic region. The application of the described methods and derived equations is illustrated by numerical examples.