The elastic view of the structural continuum versus the strength of material analysis

Abstract

The appearance of the graphic computing has allowed to deal with analysis of two and threedimensional structural continuum by means of mechanic models that have the capacity to understand the simplest and more complex behaviors between local geometries that classic methodologies are not able to describe. This fact involves the re-adoption of the Elasticity Theory and the prominence of the stresses against the comfortable view to simplify them along one of the geometry dimensions (e.g. one of the beam edges) to convert them into strains. The Strength of Materials concepts and the vectorial calculus might become outdated nowadays. Moreover, the Finite Element Method used in this study allows facing structural geometries with geometric and functional complexity. This would not be possible with classic methods without introducing important simplifications.