Variational iterational method in stability analysis of beams under nonconservative forces

The aim of this paper is to demonstrate the effectiveness of VIM in the analysis of the stability of prismatic and nonprismatic (multisegmental) Euler–Bernoulli beams under static nonconservative loads. The application of VIM to the analysis of beam problems may lead to solutions which can form the basis for the evaluation of the quality of the numerical methods used in the problems. The general Lagrange multipliers for the Euler–Bernoulli beam equation are presented. The convergence of VIM for the multipliers is discussed and an exemplary solution to the problem of the stability of the multisegmental beam under nonconservative loads is presented.