Finite element analysis of laminated anisotropic thin-walled open-section beams

A finite element analysis of thin-walled open-section laminated anisotropic beams is presented herein. A two-noded, 8 degrees of freedom per node thin-walled open-section laminated anisotropic beam finite element has been developed and used. The displacements of the element reference axes are expressed in terms of one-dimensional first order Hermite interpolation polynomials and line member assumptions are invoked in the formulation of the stiffness matrix. The problems of: 1. (a) an isotropic material Z section straight cantilever beam, and 2. (b) a single-layer (0°) composite Z section straight cantilever beam, for which continuum solutions (exact/approximate) are possible, have been solved in order to evaluate the performance of the finite element. Its applicability has been shown by solving the following problems: 3. (c) a two-layer (45°/−45°) composite Z section straight cantilever beam, 4. (d) a three-layer (0°/45°/0°) composite Z section straight cantilever beam.