A Pseudo-Lower Bound Solution of Structural Bearing Capacity by Bezier Extraction-Based Isogeometric Analysis

This study proposes a pseudo-lower bound method for direct limit analysis of two-dimensional structures and safety evaluation based on isogeometric analysis integrated through Bezier extraction. The key idea in this approach is that the stress field is separated into two parts: fictitious elastic and residual, and then the equilibrium conditions are recast by the weak form. Being different from the displacement approach which employs the kinematic formulation, the approximations based on the stress field satisfy automatically volumetric locking phenomena. Dealing with optimization problems, a second-order cone programming, providing significant advantages of the conic representation for yield criteria, is employed. The examination of various numerical benchmark problems shows an efficient and reliable method for the proposed approach.