Effect of Axial Compressibility on the Snap-Through Buckling of Prestressed Arches

Abstract

A generalized theory is used to investigate the effect of axial compressibility on the stability of a prestressed arch obtained by buckling a strut into a deformed shape and then attaching it to its supports. For various amounts of compressibility, geometric and mechanical quantities caused by a uniform load that produces large displacement are computed. Symmetric and, in some cases, unsymmetric modes of buckling are found.