In this thesis, formulas for the local tangent stiffness matrix of a plane frame member are derived by differentiating the member resistance vector in the displaced position. This approach facilitates an analysis using only one element per member. The formulas are checked by finite difference. The derivation leads to the familiar elastic and geometric stiffness matrices used by other authors plus an additional higher order geometric stiffness matrix. Contributions of each of the three sub-matrices to the tangent stiffness matrix are studied on both the member and structure levels through two numerical examples. These same examples are analyzed three different ways for comparison. First, the examples are analyzed using the method presented in this thesis. Second, they are analyzed with the finite element modeling software ABAQUS/CAE using only one element per member. Third, they are analyzed with ABAQUS using 200 elements per member. Comparisons are made assuming the ABAQUS analysis which uses 200 elements per member is the most accurate. The element presented in this thesis performs much better than the ABAQUS analysis which uses one element per member, with maximum errors of 1.0% and 40.8% respectively, for a cantilever column example. The maximum error for the two story frame example using the ABAQUS analysis with one element per member is 42.8%, while the results from the analysis using the element presented in this thesis are within 1.5%. Using the element presented in this thesis with only one element per member gives good and computationally efficient results for second-order analysis.

In Nonlinear Finite Element Analysis (FEA) applied to structures, displacements at which the tangent stiffness matrix KT becomes singular are called critical points, and correspond to instabilities such as buckling or elastoplastic softening (e.g., necking). Prior to the introduction of Arc Length Methods (ALMs), critical points posed severe computational challenges, which was unfortunate since behavior at instabilities is of great interest as a precursor to structural failure. The original ALM was shown to be capable in some circumstances of continued computation at critical points, but limited success and unattractive features of the formulation were noted and addressed in extensive subsequent research. The widely used Crisfield Cylindrical and Spherical ALMs may be viewed as representing the 'state-of-the-art'. The more recent Stiff Arc Length method, which is attractive on fundamental grounds, was introduced in 2004, but without implementation, benchmarking or performance assessment. The present thesis addresses (a) implementation and (b) performance comparisons for the Crisfield and Stiff methods, using simple benchmarks formulated to incorporate elastoplastic softening. It is seen that, in contrast to the Crisfield methods, the Stiff ALM consistently continues accurate computation at, near and beyond critical points.

[pt] Uma análise não linear geométrica de estruturas, utilizando o Método dos Elementos Finitos (MEF), depende de cinco aspectos: a teoria de flexão, da descrição cinemática, das relações entre deformações e deslocamentos, da metodologia de análise não linear e das funções de interpolação de deslocamentos. Como o MEF é uma solução numérica, a discretização da estrutura fornece grande influência na resposta dessa análise. Contudo, ao se empregar funções de interpolação correspondentes à solução homogênea da equação diferencial do problema, obtêm-se o comportamento exato da estrutura para uma discretização mínima, como ocorre em uma análise linear. Assim, este trabalho visa a integrar as soluções para o problema da não linearidade geométrica, de maneira a tentar reduzir essa influência e permitir uma discretização mínima da estrutura, considerando ainda grandes deslocamentos e rotações. Então, utilizando-se a formulação Lagrangeana atualizada, os termos de ordem elevada no tensor deformação, as teorias de flexão de Euler-Bernoulli e Timoshenko, os algoritmos para solução de problemas não lineares e funções de interpolação, que consideram a influência da carga axial, obtidas da solução da equação diferencial do equilíbrio de um elemento infinitesimal na condição deformada, desenvolve-se um elemento de pórtico espacial com uma formulação completa. O elemento é implementado no Framoop e sua resposta, utilizando-se uma discretização mínima da estrutura, é comparada com formulações usuais, soluções analíticas e com o programa Mastan2 v3.5. Os resultados evidenciam a eficiência da formulação desenvolvida para prever a carga crítica de estruturas planas e espaciais utilizando uma discretização mínima. / [en] A structural geometric nonlinear analysis, using the finite element method (FEM), depends on the consideration of five aspects: the bending theory, the kinematic description, the strain-displacement relations, the nonlinear solution scheme and the interpolation (shape) functions. As MEF is a numerical solution, the structure discretization provides great influence on the analysis response. However, applying shape functions calculated from the homogenous solution of the differential equation of the problem, the exact behavior of the structure is obtained for a minimum discretization, as for a linear analysis. Thus, this work aims to integrate the solutions for the formulations of the geometric nonlinearity problem, in order to reduce this influence and allow a minimum discretization of the structure, also considering, large displacements and rotations. Then, using an updated Lagrangian kinematic description, considering a higher-order Green strain tensor, The Euler-Bernoulli and Timoshenko beam theories, the nonlinear solutions schemes and the interpolation functions, that includes the influence of axial force, obtained directly from the solution of the equilibrium differential equation of an deformed infinitesimal element, a spatial bar frame element is developed using a complete formulation. The element was implemented in the Framoop, and their results, for a minimum discretization, were compared with conventional formulations, analytical solutions and with the software Mastan2 v3.5. Results clearly show the efficiency of the developed formulation to predict the critical load of plane and spatial structures using a minimum discretization.