Complementary plastic work theorems in piecewise-linear elastoplasticity

Abstract The paper deals with structures, whose constitutive laws exhibit a linear elastic range limited by independently acting yield planes, and linear or piecewise-linear hardening, or nonhardening, plastic behaviour. The consideration of the total complementary plastic work leads to a functional of the plastic strains, some properties of which are established and stated as theorems applicable to various plastic and nonlinear elastic problems.