Shear Correction Factors in Creep-Damage Analysis of Beams, Plates and Shells

Abstract

Modern design rules for thin-walled structures which operate at elevated temperatures are based on the demand that the creep and may be the damage behaviour should be taken into account. In the last four decades various models including the scalar or tensor valued hardening and damage variables are established. These models reflect the influence of the deformation or the damage induced anisotropy on the creep response. One problem in creep analysis of thin-walled structures is the selection of the structural mechanics model which has to be adequate to the choice of the constitutive equations. Considering complex loading conditions the structural mechanics model has to reflect for instance the different constitutive behaviour in tension and compression. Below the applicability of classical engineering models for beams, plates and shells to the creep-damage analysis is discussed. It will be shown that a first improvement of the classical approach can be given within the assumptions of the first order shear deformation theory. Based on the beam equations we demonstrate that the shear correction factors have to be modified within the time-step analysis.