Numerical simulation of instability behaviour of thin-walled frames with flexible connections

A one-dimensional finite element formulation for numerical simulation of instability behaviour of thin-walled frames containing flexible connections is presented. Stiffness matrices of a conventional 14-degree of freedom beam element are derived by applying the linearized virtual work principle and Vlasov's assumption. The structural material is assumed to be homogeneous, isotropic and linear-elastic. Flexible connection behaviour and different warping deformation conditions are introduced into the numerical model by modifying stiffness matrices of a conventional beam element. For that purpose a special transformation matrix is derived. The effectiveness of the numerical algorithm discussed is validated through the test problem.