Analyses of thin-walled sections under localised loading for general end boundary conditions - Part 1: Pre-buckling

This paper briefly summaries the displacement functions used for different boundary conditions. In addition, the theory of the FSM for pre-buckling analysis of thin-walled sections under localised loading with general end boundary conditions is developed. The analysis is subsequently benchmarked against the Finite Element Method (FEM) using software package ABAQUS/Standard. The results from this pre-buckling analysis are deflections (pre-buckling modes) and membrane stresses which are used for the buckling analysis described in Part 2 - Buckling in the companion paper.