Chapter 5

FEM for Beams

5.1 Introduction

A beam is another simple but commonly used structural component. Geometrically, it is usually a slender straight bar of an arbitrary cross-section, but it deforms only in directions perpendicular to its axis. Note that the main difference between the beam and the truss is the type of load they carry and the resulting deformation directions. Beams are subjected to transverse loading, including transverse forces and moments that result in transverse deformation. Finite element equations for beams will be developed in this chapter, and the element developed is known as the beam element. The basic concepts, procedures, and formulations can also be found in many existing textbooks (see, for example, Petyt, 1990 ...

Get The Finite Element Method, 2nd Edition now with the O’Reilly learning platform.

O’Reilly members experience books, live events, courses curated by job role, and more from O’Reilly and nearly 200 top publishers.