Plastic Buckling Simulation of Tubular Structures by Finite Element Limit Analysis

Abstract

This paper is concerned with numerical simulation of plastic buckling modes of tubular structures. The simulation incorporates with finite element limit analysis based on the upper bound method and the minimization technique. The simulation results demonstrate plastic buckling is one of the collapse modes and occurs when the buckling load is smaller than other collapse loads in order for the plastic dissipation energy to be minimized.