ABSTRACT
Beams and frames are frequently used in constructions, in engineering equipment, and in everyday life, for example, in buildings, lifting equipment, vehicles, and exercise machines. This chapter utilizes the term "general beam" for a beam that is subjected to both bending and axial forces, and the term "simple beam" for a beam subjected to only bending forces. It discusses the finite element formulation based on the simple beam theory (Euler–Bernoulli beam). Euler–Bernoulli beam and Timoshenko beam are two common models that are used in the structural analysis of beams and frames. Aside from the support idealization, conceptual models are widely adopted in the analyses of beams and frames to achieve modeling efficiency. The chapter describes the direct method to establish the beam stiffness matrix using the results from elementary beam theory. It analyses a two-story building structure with I-beams is analyzed using ANSYS Workbench.
