DIRECT STRAIN MEASURE FOR LARGE-DISPLACEMENT ANALYSES ON HINGE CONNECTED BEAM STRUCTURES

A multibody dynamics formulation based on a nonlinear finite element m ethod is presented, particularly targeting beams connected with hinges . A nonlinear kinematics, called direct strain measure, is employed to extract the strains of beams subjected to large displacement, includi ng finite rotations but small strain. Hinges are mathematically expres sed in terms of the relation between connecting nodes, rather than Lag range multipliers. The resultant dynamic equation is matrices are pres erved. Computational examples prove the validity of the proposed metho d. (C) 1997 Civil-Comp Ltd and Elsevier Science Ltd.