EQUIVALENT TRUSS ELEMENTS FOR PLANE AND SPACE PROBLEMS

A new equivalent truss element method, is proposed on the basis of stress/strain equivalence between a truss element and a micro unit. Theoretical analysis and numerical examples show that it is feasible to analyze plane or space stress problems. The proposed method is simpler than the usual finite element method, and easy to be computerized. It is found that the results using the method satisfy engineering precision requirements.