Nonlinear Static and Dynamic Deformations of Viscoelastic Cables

The rate equation method is used in this work to facilitate the analyses of finite deflection problems involving viscoelastic cables. In addition, within the confines of a structural theory, the rate equation method has been extended to allow changes in the original cross-sectional area to the cable to occur as its deformation takes place. To illustrate the details of the technique, static and dynamic geometrically nonlinear deformations of viscoelastic cables and hoops under various loadings are investigated and numerical results are presented for several cases. The accuracy of the rate equation method as applied to viscoelastic cables of contracting cross-sectional area is verified through comparisons of the rate equation solutions with solutions obtained through quasi-analytic techniques.