Analysis of box-like structures using 3-D Coons' interpolation

This paper investigates the applicability of a recently proposed global functional set based on ‘3-D Coons' interpolation formula’, in the static and dynamic analysis of box-like elastic structures. According to the proposed methodology, only the 12 edges of the entire hexahedral-like structure should be discretized into a small number of nodal points. In this way, the dimensionality of the problem is drastically reduced from three to one, in the sense that instead of the volume, only the control lines being absolutely necessary to define the geometric model should be considered in the analysis. Preliminary results obtained for paralleloidal and cylindrical beams in tension, bending and torsion, as well as an internally pressurized thick-walled cylinder were found to be encouraging for the static analysis. Moreover, the natural frequencies of a rectangular clamped beam were calculated with excellent accuracy. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.