Since the Eighteenth century, a great amount of research has been done using the elastic analysis technique in the field of curved structures. Recently the question of behavior beyond the yielding range has become increasingly important. By applying the methods of plastic analysis, the collapse load of a structure can be determined, and also the stress distribution and the deflection, just before collapse, can be calculated. However the evolution of the stress distribution and the deflection at any section of the structure between the load causing first yielding and the collapse load is still an unsolved problem. Concerning the problem of evolution of the stress distribution in the inelastic range, most literature relies on the simple plastic theory in which the effect of the axial force on the formation of a plastic hinge is neglected. In fact this conception is in serious error in some cases, especially when the curved structure is a shallow arch, the stresses developed are apparently governed by the axial force. Literature considering the combined effects of bending moment and axial force is very rare. In this thesis, the author proposes a new method, incorporating effects of both axial force and bending moment, of determining the evolution of stress distributions and the deflections in the inelastic range. The thesis includes three parts. In the first to parts, the theory for the stress analysis and for the deflection of a rectangular section is presented. The third part contains three examples to illustrate the use of the new method in practical engineering problems. / Master of Science