Dynamic analysis of helicoidal bars with non-circular cross-sections via mixed FEM

One of the objectives of this study is to implement the direct calculation of the torsional moment of inertia for non-circular cross-sections, which is based on the St. Venant torsion formulation and the finite element method. Recently the proposed method provides a unique calculation of the torsional rigidity of simply and multiply connected cross-sections. Next, free vibration analyses of cylindrical and non cylindrical helices with non-circular cross-sections are solved by a curved two-nodded mixed finite element based on the Timoshenko beam theory. Some thin-thick closed or open sections are handled and the natural frequencies of cylindrical and non-cylindrical helices are compared with the literature and the commercial finite element program SAP2000.