Finite-difference equations of quasistatic motion of the shallow concrete shells in nonlinear setting

Abstract

The study solves a system of finite difference equations for flexible shallow concrete shells while taking into account the nonlinear deformations. All stiffness properties of the shell are taken as variables, i.e., stiffness surface and through-thickness stiffness. Differential equations under consideration were evaluated in the form of algebraic equations with the finite element method. For a reinforced shell, a system of 98 equations on a 8×8 grid was established, which was next solved with the approximation method from the nonlinear plasticity theory. A test case involved computing a 1×1 shallow shell taking into account the nonlinear properties of concrete. With nonlinear equations for the concrete creep taken as constitutive, equations for the quasi-static shell motion under constant load were derived. The resultant equations were written in a differential form and the problem of solving these differential equations was then reduced to the solving of the Cauchy problem. The numerical solution to this problem allows describing the stress-strain state of the shell at each point of the shell grid within a specified time interval.

Keywords

• concrete shell
• differential equations
• nonlinear deformations
• finite difference
• concrete creep
• cauchy problem