Bielastic web of links: A discrete model of Csonka׳s beam

•We develop a discrete rod model, the bielastic web of links.•The equilibrium equations, the buckling loads, and the buckled shapes of the structure are determined analytically.•A recently developed numerical algorithm is applied to calculate the equilibrium surfaces of the structure for large displacements.•The correspondence between our model and a continuous sandwich beam, the Csonka׳s beam, is shown.•A worked example details how to estimate the buckling load of a planar frame using the bielastic web of links.

In this paper a discrete model, the bielastic web of links, is introduced and analyzed with respect to its static equilibrium states, buckling and stability under compression. Analytical solutions are derived for the buckling loads of the trivial, purely compressed equilibrium state of the structure, and for the geometry of the buckled configurations. The equilibrium states of larger webs are calculated considering large displacements, utilizing a recently developed numerical algorithm. The correspondence between the bielastic web of links and a special sandwich beam, the Csonka׳s beam, is shown, and an example is given for the application of the model.