Study on the Strategy of Elastic Modulus Adjustment of the Elastic Modulus Reduction Method for Limit Analysis of Structures Containing Flaws
As a limit analysis method lately presented, the elastic modulus reduction method (EMRM) has the advantages of simplicity and high efficiency. In this paper, the strategy of elastic modulus adjustment of the EMRM is studied in order to extend the method applicable to the limit analysis of structures containing flaws (SCF). Two new algorithms of the reference element bearing ratio, reference element bearing ratio based on reference stress (REBS) and reference element bearing ratio based on integral element bearing ratio gradient (REBG), are proposed. Numerical examples show that the problems of instability and non-convergence in iterative process of limit analysis of SCF are improved, when the REBS or REBG is used in the strategy of elastic modulus adjustment of the EMRM.