Application of Differential Quadrature Method to Investigate Dynamics of a Curved Beam Structure Acted upon by a Moving Concentrated Load

Application of curved beams in special structures requires a special analysis. In this study, the differential quadrature method (DQM) as a well-known numerical method is utilized in the dynamic analysis of the Euler-Bernoulli curved beam problem with a uniform cross section under a constant moving load. DQ approximation of the required partial derivatives is given by a weighted linear sum of the function values at all grid points. A prismatic semicircular arch with simply supported boundary conditions is assumed. The accuracy of the obtained results is corroborated by employing the Galerkin and finite element methods. Finally, the convergence rate of the DQM and Finite Element Method (FEM) in the associated problem is explored. In the structural problems with specific geometry, use of DQM which is independent of domain discretization, is proved to be efficient.