The authors of this book present an overview of the broad field of the mechanics of one-dimensional structures, aimed at introducing the reader to geometrically exact nonlinear modeling, using only elementary mathematics. Derivation of complex models is made in the context of a unitary approach, based on the Principle of Virtual Power, and driven under the lines of a metamodel, working as a progenitor.
The authors formulate nonlinear models of elastic and visco-elastic one-dimensional continuous structures (beams and cables), and also deal with several models of increasing complexity: straight/curved, planar/non-planar, extensible/inextensible, shearable/unshearable, warping-insensitive/sensitive, prestressed/unprestressed beams, both in statics and dynamics; whereas a forthcoming book by the same authors studies the algorithms and phenomena, with the aim of guiding the reader throughout the whole process of the engineering design. Original models of stiff cables as well as thin-walled beams with deformable cross-sections, developed by the authors and published in international journals, contribute to this book’s uniqueness.