Simple iteration method for structural static reanalysis.

This paper presents a simple iterative method for structural static reanalysis. A preconditioned Richardson’s iterative method is developed and the relaxation parameter is determined by a very simple formula derived from the corresponding potential energy function. Based on the iteration method, an acceleration technique is also established. The proposed method is intended to utilize the existing stiffness matrix factorization completed for the initial design, require matrix-by-vector products only, preserve the ease of implementation and improve significantly the quality of the results. The method is suitable for general finite element systems. Calculation of derivatives is not required. The computational time is considerably reduced. A numerical example is used to validate the effectiveness of the proposed reanalysis method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]