An elastic two-strand ply theory
E.L. Starostin & G.H.M. van der Heijden
We present a new theory to describe a wide class of equilibrium
configurations of a ply made of two Cosserat rods. The rods, of circular
cross-section, are assumed to be in continuous contact. The axis of the ply
is free to adopt any spatial configuration under the action of end loads.
Local interaction of the rods (e.g., of electrostatic nature) is incorporated
into the formulation. The theory is illustrated on two examples that allow
for analytical treatment. Applications to plectonemic DNA are discussed.
Proc. of the 7th European Nonlinear Dynamics Conference (ENOC 2011),
24-29 July 2011, Rome, Italy, D. Bernardini, G. Rega, F. Romeo (eds)
(Department of Structural and Geotechnical Engineering, Sapienza University
of Rome, 2011), 2 pages, ISBN 978-88-906234-2-4