Abstract
Recent advancement in parallel computing enables the precise finite element analysis of steel frames using solid elements. However, the finite element models used in the analysis have not been verified sufficiently. In this study, first, static finite element elastic-plastic buckling analyses of a square steel tube column subjected to a prescribed lateral displacement are performed with different meshes in order to verify the analysis model. It is shown that the accuracy and computation time of the analysis depend not only on the number of mesh divisions but also on the aspect ratio of each finite element. Then, dynamic elastic-plastic buckling analyses are performed for different meshes and different time increments. In the dynamic buckling problem, which is a kind of slow dynamics problem, accurate results can be obtained using a fine mesh but with a rather large time increment.
