Advanced Mechanics of Materials and Applied Elasticity, 6th Edition

Chapter 10. Applications of Energy Methods

10.1 Introduction

As an alternative to the methods based on differential equations that were outlined in Section 3.1, the analysis of stress and deformation can be accomplished through the use of energy methods. The latter are predicated on the fact that the equations governing a given stress or strain configuration can be derived from the minimization of energy associated with deformation, stress, or deformation and stress. Applications of energy methods are effective in situations involving a variety of shapes and variable cross sections, and in complex problems involving elastic stability and multielement structures. In particular, strain energy methods offer concise and relatively simple approaches ...