Truss with tesnsion only members

[imvok3r]

Hi everybody,
I am new to FEA and I have a truss with some tension only members to analyze. I want to write a MATLAB code for this purpose but I don’t know how I should model the tension only members.
I hop that anyone can help me or recommend a book to read.
Thanks in advance.

 

[rb1957]

use RODs for axially loaded members (tension or compression) with no end moments and no transverse loads

use BEAMs for members with transverse loads (not purely axial) and/or end moments.

another day in paradise, or is paradise one day closer ?

 

[klaus.]

there ate lots of student book on that topic....

 

[FEA way]

Check the article "Analysis of structures including compression-only and tension-only members" by H. Moharrami et al.

You can also find such information in various FEA software manuals (some of them offer this type of elements). For example in Abaqus no tension behavior is realized in such way that the software first solves for principal stresses assuming linear elasticity and then sets proper principal stress values to zero. Corresponding stiffness matrix components are also set to zero.