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Problem Specification
1. Start-up and preliminary set-up
2. Specify element type and constants
3. Specify material properties
4. Specify geometry
5. Mesh geometry
6. Specify boundary conditions
7. Solve!
8. Postprocess the results
9. Validate the results

Problem Specification

The problem considered here is the curved beam of uniform trapezoidal cross-section in example 6.15 of Cook et al. The beam is bent in its own plane by moments M. The problem is not axisymmetric because displacements have circumferential as well as radial and axial components. So we use 3D solid elements rather than axisymmetric elements. The geometry can nevertheless be described in cylindrical coordinates.

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The z-constant plane containing A,B,C and D is a symmetry plane. So only half the cross-section needs to be modeled.

Boundary Conditions

The nodal d.o.f. in the radial (u), circumferential (v), and axial (w) directions are constrained as follows:

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