The procedures described in this paper for determining a limit load is based on Mura’s extended variational formulation. Used in conjunction with linear elastic finite element analyses, the approach provides a robust method to estimate limit loads of mechanical components and structures. The secant modulus of the various elements in a finite element discretization scheme is prescribed in order to simulate the distributed effect of the plastic flow parameter, $μ0.$ The upper and lower-bound multipliers $m0$ and $m′$ obtained using this formulation converge to near exact values. By using the notion of “leap-frogging” to limit state, an improved lower-bound multiplier, $mα,$ can be obtained. The condition for which $mα$ is a reasonable lower bound is discussed in this paper. The method is applied to component configurations such as cylinder, torispherical head, indeterminate beam, and a cracked specimen.

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