Postbuckling analysis of nonlocal functionally graded beams

Abstract The main goal of this research is to study the postbuckling behavior of nonlocal functionally graded beams. Eringen’s nonlocal differential model is used to evaluate the influence of the material length scale in the bending response. An improved shear deformation beam theory with five independent parameters is utilized, which is suitable for the use of 3D constitutive equations. A finite element model is derived with spectral high-order interpolation functions to avoid shear locking. The formulation is verified by comparing the present results with the ones found in the literature. Functionally graded beams with different boundary conditions, nonlocal parameters, and power law indices are analyzed. It is shown that the present model can accurately predict the behavior of nonlocal beams due to the use of high-order terms in the displacement field in comparison with classical beam formulations. Finally, new benchmark problems are analyzed to show the capabilities of the present model to evaluate the effect of the nonlocal parameter and the power law index on postbuckling beam behavior.