Corotational force-based beam finite element with rigid joint offsets for 3D framed structures

In numerical analysis of frame structures, modeling of the connection between structural members often requires the introduction of rigid end offsets to correctly describe the stiffness of the joints. This is typical of beam-to-column connections in civil constructions but is also common in lattice materials, where the element overlapping at the joints locally increases the stiffness of the nodes. However, when nonlinear geometric effects are included, correct simulation of such phenomena is challenging.This paper presents a geometrically nonlinear three-dimensional force-based beam finite element that efficiently accounts for the effects of rigid joint offsets. The model imposes the element equilibrium in the local reference system referring to the element deformed configuration, considering the von Karman nonlinear terms, and exploits a corotational formulation to account for rigid large displacements and rotations of the beam. Two alternative approaches are used to introduce the rigid offsets. The first derives from an existing proposal where kinematic and static nonlinear operators are adopted to describe the behavior of the rigid portions at the element ends. The second is a novel approach, easier to implement and use, that involves modifying the integration, along the element axis, of the cross-section strains and flexibility. This can be easily defined for beam models under linear geometry assumption but requires particular attention for the analysis of frame structures under large displacements and strains. Both approaches are validated through numerical examples, including comparison with other numerical methods and experimental results available in the literature.