Analysis of three-dimensional frames using shear-locking free beam elements based on the third-order shear-deformation theory

Due to the character of the original source materials and the nature of batch digitization, quality control issues may be present in this document. Please report any quality issues you encounter to digital@library.tamu.edu, referencing the URI of the item.Includes bibliographical references (leaves 63-64).Issued also on microfiche from Lange Micrographics.In the present research, space frames are studied by incorporating shear-locking-free beam finite element based on the third-order shear deformation theory. Currently, the beam element used in the analysis of frames is based on the Euler-Bernoulli theory, which does not account for shear deformations. However, when the element length to thickness ratio becomes low, shear deformations become significant and need to be incorporated in the analysis. The shear-deformable element used in commercial codes is based on the Timoshenko beam theory with reduced integration, which has shear-locking tendencies. The present research uses the beam element based on the Reddy-Levinson third order shear deformation beam theory (RLT). It has been observed that the present beam element provides exact solution at the nodes, and as a special case, it provides classical theory solutions in the thin beam limit. The said beam element is derived using different approaches. Static response is studied for the cases of simply-supported and cantilever beams subjected to uniform loading. Space frames are then studied using the developed element for static and frequency response