An r-h Adaptive Kinematic Approach for 3D Limit Analysis

Abstract

This paper explores a pathway for increasing efficiency in numerical 3D limit analysis through r-h adaptivity, wherein nodal positions (r) and element lengths (h) are successively refined. The approach uses an iterative, nested optimization procedure involving three steps: (1) determination of velocities for a fixed mesh of rigid, translational elements (blocks) using second-order cone programming; (2) adaptation of nodal positions using non-linear optimization (r adaptivity); and (3) subdivision of elements based on the magnitude of the velocity jumps (h adaptivity). Examples show that the method can compute reasonably accurate limit loads at relatively low computational cost.