Isogeometric analysis of curved beams and arches

CAZZANI, ANTONIO MARIA;MALAGÙ M.;TURCO E.;CAUSIN A.;SOLCI M.

2012-01-01

---

Abstract

We present a curved beam element based on Timoshenko model and NURBS (Non- Uniform Rational B-Splines) interpolation both for geometry and displacements. This element, which is free from both membrane- and shear-locking, can be used to analyze curved beams and arches. Some numerical results will explore the effectiveness and accuracy of this novel method by comparing its performances to those of standard curved beam elements based on the Lagrange interpolation.