Improved Strategy of Two-Node Curved Beam Element Based on the Same Beam’s Nodes Information

The curved beam with a great initial curvature is the typical structure and applied widely in real engineering structures. The common practice in the current literature employs two-node straight beam elements as the elementary members for stress and displacement analysis, which needs a large number of divisions to fit the curved beam shape well and increases computational time greatly. In this paper, we develop an improved accurate two-node curved beam element (IC2) in 3D problems, combining the curved Timoshenko beam theory and the curvature information calculated from the same beam curve. The strategy of calculating the curvature information from the same bean curve in the IC2 beam element and then transferring the curvature information to the two-node straight beam element can greatly enhance the accuracy of the mechanical analysis with no extra calculation burden. We then introduce the finite element implementation of the IC2 beam element and verify by the complex curved beam analysis. By comparison with simulation results from the straight two-node beam element in the MIDAS (S2-MIDAS) and the three-node curved beam element adopted in the ANSYS (C3-ANSYS), the simulation results of the typical quarter arc examples under constant or variable curvature show that the IC2 beam element based on curved beam theory is a combination of efficiency and accuracy. And, it is a good choice for analysis of complex engineering rod structure with large initial curvature.

In Plane Radial Vibration of Uncracked and Cracked Circular Curved Beams Subjected to Moving Loads

The dynamic response of structures subjected to moving load is a subject of great importance from a practical point of view. In this work, the in-plane dynamic response of a cracked isotropic circular curved beam subjected to moving loads is investigated using the finite element method. The curved beam is modeled using curved beam elements, which is developed based on the Timoshenko beam theory. Furthermore, a cracked curved beam element is developed to incorporate the presence of cracks in the structure. The effect of moving load speed, depth, and the location of the crack on the dynamic response of the beam is investigated. The outcome of the work can be useful in the study of real-life moving load problems like bridges and railways and also in the field of condition monitoring using moving loads.