Characteristic behavior of prismatic anisotropic beam via generalized eigenvectors

Elastic, anisotropic, non-homogeneous, prismatic beams are solved through a semi-analytical formulation. The resulting variational formulation is solved with a finite element discretization over the cross-section, leading to a set of Hamiltonian ordinary differential equations along the beam. Such a formulation is characterized by a group of generalized eigenvectors associated to null eigenvalues, which are shown to combine rigid body motions and the classical De Saint-Venant's beam solutions. The related generalized deformation parameters are identified through the amplitude of the deformable generalized eigenvectors. Results obtained from the analysis of both isotropic and composite beams are presented. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.