Nonlinear structural material properties question

As long as all material is in the initial slope of the stress-strain curve you have the linear situation, where the stress is independent of the material properties. Once you go over a slope change however there will be differences in your material properties between the parts where the stresses are over the slope change, and parts where they are not. Some parts of your structure will therefore become relatively less stiff than other parts. The stiffer parts will attract more of the load than in the situation with uniform material properties. The stress distribution will therefore be affected by the non-linear material.

Timo

schreef in bericht news: snipped-for-privacy@o13g2000cwo.googlegroups.com...

Thanks Timo. I see what you mean. So that in mind, for the plastic material I'm analyzing --- the stress would be independent of the properties as long as I was in the first piecewise-linear portion of the curve correct? After that, even though the part wasn't yielding the local E would factor in? As you may know plastic curves are highly nonlinear with no noticeble "yield point." It's just a smooth curve till the end.

Thanks aga> As long as all material is in the initial slope of the stress-strain curve

displacement).

Yes, that's a linear region.

Yep.

The modulus change will have a similar effect as yielding except less extreme.