Post-buckling analysis of structures by three-parameter constrained solution techniques

This paper investigates the post-buckling analysis of structures using several proposed three-parameter constrained solution techniques. The family of three-parameter constraint equations is non-dimensional and comprises an elliptic constraint method, hyperbolic constraint method and a second degree polynomial constraint method. The proposed methods are numerically robust and are shown to be quadratically convergent. Their computational performance is demonstrated through various examples of truss, beam, plane stress and shell structures. The scope of the paper is limited only to the tracing of primary equilibrium path of the above structures, and hence the problems of bifurcation are not considered in the present study.