Abstract:
This report details the comprehensive verification of various beam and truss elements within DYNA3D, an explicit finite element (FE) software program developed at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) for analyzing large deformation responses of structures. The verification process is critical to ensure the accuracy of the element formulations and their computational implementation, a fundamental concern for all FE programs. Specifically, this study focuses on Hughes-Liu beam elements (types 1, 2, 6, and 7) and Timoshenko beam elements (types 3, 4, 8, and 9), alongside the truss element type 5. The verification methodology involves rigorous comparisons of DYNA3D's simulation outputs against established analytical solutions, often derived through hand calculations. These comparisons are conducted for a range of fundamental loading conditions, including axial loading, pure bending, and torsional loads, applied to simple structural configurations. By systematically evaluating the performance of each element type under these well-defined conditions, the report aims to confirm the reliability and accuracy of DYNA3D's core structural elements, thereby providing confidence in its application for more complex engineering analyses. This work serves as a crucial benchmark, ensuring that the foundational elements of the software behave as theoretically expected, which is essential for its use in critical scientific and engineering applications.
