Softening and Hardening Constitutive Models and Their Application to the Analysis of Bar Structures

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to present and investigate softening and hardening constitutive models derived from the general isotropic work softening and hardening hypothesis and to show their application to the step-by-step analysis of linearly elastic-perfectly plastic softening or hardening skeletal structures (trusses, beams, frames). A quasi-static proportional external load is considered and it is assumed that, during the response of the structure, local reverse unloading is ruled out and a holonomic analysis can be conducted. The analysis makes possible to study the response of the structure during the loading procedure and to determine those loading multipliers at which excessive deformations and displacements and the loss of equilibrium or stability occur.

Keywords:

• Hardening material
• Linearly elastic-perfectly plastic material
• Skeletal structures
• Softening material
• Work hardening
• Work softening

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

The present study was supported by the Hungarian National Scientific and Research Foundation (OTKA grant K 81185).

Notes

^#Communicated by N. Banichuk.