Finite element analysis of nonlinear geometric structures

For some structures, linear analysis may not be adequate, and nonlinear analysis should be applied. Here, an incremental stiffness procedure which employs the finite element displacement technique, is presented for nonlinear analysis of planar trusses. Elastic and geometric stiffness matrices are derived for application to large deflection and structural stability problem. Several examples, including a five-element truss, have been solved. For comparison, both linear and nonlinear analyses are included. The numerical results are in good agreement with known analytical results. The computer program written for the nonlinear analysis appears in Appendix c.