Adjoint Approach Sensitivity Analysis of Thin-walled Beams and Frames

Sensitivity analysis of beams and frames assembled of thin‐walled members is presented within the adjoint approach. Static loads and structures composed of thin‐walled members with the bisymmetrical open cross‐section are considered. The analysed structure is represented by the one‐dimensional model consisting of thin‐walled beam elements based on the classical assumptions of the theory of thin‐walled beams of non‐deformable cross‐section together with superelements applied in place of location of structure nodes, restraints and stiffeners. The results of sensitivity analysis, obtained for the structure model described above, are compared with the results of the detailed FEM model, where the whole structure is discretised with the use of QUAD4 shell elements of the system MSC/NASTRAN.