Finite Strip Method in Structural Analysis

Finite Strip Method in Structural Analysis is a concise introduction to the theory of the finite strip method and its application to structural engineering, with special reference to practical structures such as slab bridges and box girder bridges. Topics covered include the bending of plates and plate-beam systems, with application to slab-beam bridges; plane stress analysis; vibration and stability of plates and shells; and finite layer and finite prism methods. Comprised of eight chapters, this book begins with an overview of the theory of the finite strip method, highlighting the importance of the choice of suitable displacement functions for a strip as well as the formulation of strip characteristics. Subsequent chapters consider many different types of finite strips for plate and shell problems and present numerical examples. The extension of the finite strip method to three-dimensional problems is then described, with emphasis on the finite layer method and the finite prism method. The final chapter discusses some computer methods that are commonly used in structural analysis. A folded plate computer program is included for completeness, and a detailed description for a worked problem is also presented for the sake of clarity. This monograph will be of interest to civil and structural engineers.