BEM Analysis for Coupled Single and Double Beam Systems

Resumo

The static and dynamic behavior of elastically connected structures has been extensively studied due to its numerous practical applications in civil, mechanical, and aerospace engineering. In the last decades, many works have focused on continuously connected double-beam systems (DBS), using numerical or analytical approaches. However, these studies often rely on idealized assumptions, such as continuous connections, identical beam lengths, and classical boundary conditions. In this work, a numerical formulation based on the boundary element method (BEM) for the bending analysis of DBS partially connected by elastic layer is presented. The Euler-Bernoulli beam theory is used to represent the beams, while Winkler model is used for the connecting layer. A BEM coupling technique based on sub-domains is employed to model the problem, which combines single-beam and double-beam boundary elements to represent the partial connection. Numerical examples considering arbitrary flexural rigidities, classical and non-classical boundary conditions are presented. The results demonstrate the accuracy and efficiency of the proposed formulation, and highlight its applicability to a wide range of DBS configurations.