Inelastic analysis of beams on two-parameter tensionless elastoplastic foundation

In this paper a boundary element method is developed for the inelastic analysis of Euler-Bernoulli beams of simply or multiply connected constant cross-section having at least one axis of symmetry, resting on two-parameter tensionless elastoplastic foundation. The beam is subjected to arbitrarily distributed or concentrated vertical loading along its length, while its edges are subjected to the most general boundary conditions. A displacement based formulation is developed and inelastic redistribution is modeled through a distributed plasticity model exploiting material constitutive laws and numerical integration over the cross-sections. An incremental-iterative solution strategy along with an efficient iterative process are employed, while the arising boundary value problem is solved employing the boundary element method. Numerical results are worked out to illustrate the method, demonstrate its efficiency and wherever possible its accuracy. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.