Limit Load Bounds for the mα Multiplier

Limit analysis is an important tool to assess the integrity of a structure. Successive elastic modulus adjustment, in particular, can simulate the plastic stress redistribution in a structure at the limit state (plastic collapse). Several limit load estimates have been developed based on the stress and strain distribution within a component. The bounding nature of these estimates is examined in this paper Particular emphasis is given to the limit load estimate m α , which has been proposed to give improved limit load predictions from partly converged stress distributions in the structure. Bounds on the accuracy of these m α predictions are derived.