An accurate two-node finite element for shear deformable curved beams

An accurate two-node (three degrees of freedom per node) finite element is developed for curved shear deformable beams. The element formulation is based on shape functions that satisfy the homogeneous form of the partial differential equations of motion which renders it free of shear and membrane locking. The element is demonstrated to converge to the results obtained from a shear deformable straight beam when the beam becomes shallower. Numerical examples were performed to demonstrate the accuracy and efficiency with respect to previously published formulations.