Model and dimension adaptive simulation methods for assessment of geometrical nonlinear effects in Structural Engineering
Neglecting geometrical nonlinear effects in structural analysis can result in severe damage of the investigated structure. In practical applications these nonlinear effects are often included using simplified theories which are limited to boundary conditions. In general the theories are valid until a certain degree of nonlinearity. The question, which method is the most appropriate one for a specific problem, can often not be answered in advance.
However, this source of error may effect the computed failure probability of the structure significantly. Due to this inaccuracies the current norms provide large safety margins regarding stability problems. This should result in a higher safety standard for the load-bearing structures , nevertheless in several cases the structures experience stability failures.
In this project methods are developed, that assess the quality of the different methods dealing with geometrical nonlinear effects.
They provide an estimation of the errors introduced using simplified methods compared to the exact solution. The goal of this research is to develop quality measures which allow to quantify the model quality with respect to:
- nonlinear kinematic model
- applied solution strategy
- spatial dimension of the model.
Tutors: C. Könke, K. Gürlebeck, Th. Most