LOCAL ARC-LENGTH METHOD——A SOLUTION PROCEDURE FOR NON-LINEAR FINITE ELEMENT METHOD

This paper describes a new solution procedure, the local arc-length method that is a development of the arc-length method and can be used for structures with strain-softening materials. The new procedure is based on using a constraint equation which uses displacement parameters associated with the localized failure zone in such structures. Numerical examples show that this new procedure is more reliable than current versions of the arc-length method. By using this method, not only the ultimate load o...