Structural design sensitivity analysis for composites undergoing elastoplastic deformation (Q1900299)

The paper deals with a nonlinear structural design sensitivity analysis for structures undergoing elastoplastic deformation. The reference volume concept is used to unify the shape and nonshape design problems. The rate (time-independent) constitutive model is employed to account for the plastic material behaviour. In the response analysis, a higher order approximation procedure of the integration of the rate constitutive equations is proposed. The direct differentiation approach is adopted to obtain the design sensitivity equation for the response variables. A method of partial differentiation of the rate constitutive equations, which yields a set of linear differential equations in the partial derivatives of stresses and internal variables with respect to the design variable, is included in the direct differentiation approach procedure. In part I of this paper, the general theory is described. In part II, the theory is applied to the composite laminated beam problem. The paper is concerned with technical applications and is addressed to researchers as well as to civil and mechanical engineers.