Buckling Analysis of Structures Composed of Tapered Members

Abstract

Based on the energy principle, the tapered elements for beam‐columns are derived and incorporated into a user‐friendly nonlinear frame analysis computer program. When compared to the methods using the conventional uniform elements or the numerical integration technique, the present approach is more accurate and/or efficient for the nonlinear analysis of tapering structures. Numerical examples demonstrating the performance of the derived tapered elements and the uses of the elements in the large deflection and snap‐through analysis of structures comprising tapered members are given. It was found that, although a tapered member may have a higher member buckling load than its uniform counterpart of same weight of material, its uses in the construction of space frames may reduce considerably the global snap‐through load of the structure, leading to a potential danger of earlier structural collapse.