Plastic Behavior of Beam-Type Structures

Abstract

A PREVIOUS PAPER 1 discussed the theory of the elastic and plastic behavior of wings and other beam-type control surfaces. This early work used a modal-type approach for both the elastic and post-failure regions. A great deal of study has been devoted to the problem since this early work and it has been found more efficient to employ a finite-difference technique to solve both the elastic and elasto-plastic cases. The equations of motion together with the boundary and continuity conditions for a variable-section beam or control surface are given in a previous reference. The finite-difference equations are given in general form for fixed, simply supported, free, and plastic-hinged beams in another report.