On limit analysis of discs by a rigid finite element method (Q2564570)

The paper introduces a numerical method for calculating the load-carrying capacity of discs. The discrete model was found by a division of the disc area into rigid triangular finite elements. It was assumed that plastic strains would only occur at the joints between rigid elements. The task was formulated as two equivalent problems of linear mathematical programming and it was solved by the SIMPLEX procedure. The results were calculated for both linear and nonlinear plastic conditions. The effect that the pattern of discretization has on the load-carrying capacity of a structure was also tested. A numerical programme called TARCZA was elaborated upon in the programming language FORTRAN 77.