Stationary and extremum variational formulations for the elastostatics of cable networks (Q1072747): Difference between revisions

The static analysis of elastic cable networks submitted to generic, conservative loads and prescribed dislocations is considered in this paper. The cables are assumed as stress-unilateral (only tensile stresses are admitted), and represented according to a Lagrangian standpoint, under the customary large displacements hypothesis. A variational formulation of the problem is given, as the stationary of a saddle functional with respect to displacements and (sign-constrained) tractions. Uniqueness properties for the solution are derived from this statement, together with two complementary (constrained) minimum formulations, which correspond to the well-known extremum principles of the total potential energy and the complementary energy. The case of a network loaded only at the nodes is exposed as a specialization.