On Torsion of Functionally Graded Elastic Beams

Abstract

The evaluation of tangential stress fields in linearly elastic orthotropic Saint-Venant beams under torsion is based on the solution of Neumann and Dirichlet boundary value problems for the cross-sectional warping and for Prandtl stress function, respectively. A skillful solution method has been recently proposed by Ecsedi for a class of inhomogeneous beams with shear moduli defined in terms of Prandtl stress function of corresponding homogeneous beams. An alternative reasoning is followed in the present paper for orthotropic functionally graded beams with shear moduli tensors defined in terms of the stress function and of the elasticity of reference inhomogeneous beams. An innovative result of invariance on twist centre is also contributed. Examples of functionally graded elliptic cross sections of orthotropic beams are developed, detecting thus new benchmarks for computational mechanics.