Nonlinear analysis of shear deformable beam-columns partially supported on tensionless three-parameter foundation

In this paper, a boundary element method is developed for the nonlinear analysis of shear deformable beam-columns of arbitrary doubly symmetric simply or multiply connected constant cross-section, partially supported on tensionless three-parameter foundation, undergoing moderate large deflections under general boundary conditions. The beam-column is subjected to the combined action of arbitrarily distributed or concentrated transverse loading and bending moments in both directions as well as to axial loading. To account for shear deformations, the concept of shear deformation coefficients is used. Five boundary value problems are formulated with respect to the transverse displacements, to the axial displacement and to two stress functions and solved using the Analog Equation Method, a BEM-based method. Application of the boundary element technique yields a system of nonlinear equations from which the transverse and axial displacements are computed by an iterative process. The evaluation of the shear deformation coefficients is accomplished from the aforementioned stress functions using only boundary integration. The proposed model takes into account the coupling effects of bending and shear deformations along the member as well as the shear forces along the span induced by the applied axial loading. Numerical examples are worked out to illustrate the efficiency, wherever possible, the accuracy and the range of applications of the developed method.