Abstract
In this paper, an approach to the analysis of arbitrary thin to moderately thick plates and shells by the edge-based smoothed finite element method (ES-FEM) is presented. The formulation is based on the first order shear deformation theory, and Discrete Shear Gap (DSG) method is employed to mitigate the shear locking. Triangular meshes are used as they can be generated automatically for complicated geometries. The discretized system equations are obtained using the smoothed Galerkin weak form, and the numerical integration is applied based on the edge-based smoothing domains. The smoothing operation can provide a much needed softening effect to the FEM model to reduce the well-known “overly stiff” behavior caused by the fully compatible implementation of the displacement approach based on the Galerkin weakform, and hence improve significantly the solution accuracy. A number of benchmark problems have been studied and the results confirm that the present method can provide accurate results for both plate and shell using triangular mesh.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Pugh ED, Hinton E, Zienkiewicz OC (1978) A study of triangular plate bending element with reduced integration. Int J Numer Methods Eng 12: 1059–1078
Belytschko T, Stolarski H, Carpenter N (1984) A C0 triangular plate element with one-point quadrature. Int J Numer Methods Eng 20: 787–802
Stricklin J, Haisler W, Tisdale P, Gunderson R (1969) A rapidly converging triangular plate bending element. AIAA J 7: 180–181
Dhatt G (1969) Numerical analysis of thin shells by curved triangular elements based on discrete Kirchhoff hypothesis. In: Proceedings of the ASCE symposium on applications of FEM in civil engineering. Vanderbilt University, Nashville, pp 255–278
Dhatt G (1970) An efficient triangular shell element (Kirchhoff triangular shell element design via linear shell theory). AIAA J. 8: 2100–2102
Batoz JL, Bathe KJ, Ho LW (1980) A study of three-node triangular plate bending elements. Int J Numer Methods Eng 15: 1771–1812
Bathe KJ, Brezzi F (1989) The MITC7 and MITC9 plate bending element. Comput Struct 32: 797–814
Lee PS, Bathe KJ (2004) Development of MITC isotropic triangular shell finite elements. Comput Struct 82: 945–962
Lee PS, Noh HC, Bathe KJ (2007) Insight into 3-node triangular shell finite element: the effects of element isotropy and mesh patterns. Comput Struct 85: 404–418
Ayad R, Dhatt G, Batoz JL (1998) A new hybrid-mixed variational approach for Reissner–Mindlin plates, the MiSP model. Int J Numer Methods Eng 42: 1149–1479
Sze KY, Zhu D (1999) A quadratic assumed natural strain shell curved triangular element. Comp Methods Appl Mech Eng 174: 57–71
Kim JH, Kim YH (2002) Three-node macro triangular shell element based on the assumed natural strains. Comput Mech 29: 441–458
Kim JH, Kim YH (2002) A three-node C0 ANS element for geometrically non-linear structural analysis. Comp Methods Appl Mech Engrg 191: 4035–4059
Chen WJ, Cheung YK (2001) Refined 9-Dof triangular Mindin plate elements. Int J Numer Methods Eng 51: 1259–1281
Chen WJ (2004) Refined 15-DOF triangular discrete degenerated shell element. Int J Numer Methods Eng 60: 1817–1846
Bletzinger KU, Bischoff M, Ramm E (2000) A unified approach for shear-locking-free triangular and rectangular shell finite elements. Comput Struct 75: 321–334
Liu GR (2008) A generalized gradient smoothing technique and smoothed bilinear form for Galerkin formulation of a wide class of computational methods. Int J Comput Methods 5(2): 199–236
Liu GR (2009) A G space theory and weakened weak (W2) form for a unified formulation of compatible and incompatible methods, Part I: theory and part II: applications to solid mechanics problems. Int J Numer Methods Eng. doi:10.1002/nme.2719 (published online)
Chen JS, Wu CT, Yoon S, You Y (2001) A stabilized conforming nodal integration for Galerkin meshfree methods. Int J Numer Methods Eng 50: 435–466
Liu GR, Zhang GY, Dai KY, Wang YY, Zhong ZH, Li GY, Han X (2005) A linearly conforming point interpolation method (LC-PIM) for 2D solid mechanics problems. Int J Comput Methods 2: 645–665
Liu GR, Zhang GY (2008) Upper bound solution to elasticity problems: A unique property of the linearly conforming point interpolation method (LC-PIM). Int J Numer Methods Eng 74: 1128–1161
Liu GR, Dai KY, Nguyen TT (2007) A smoothed finite element method for mechanics problems. Comput Mech 39: 859–877
Dai KY, Liu GR, Nguyen TT (2007) An n-sided polygonal smoothed finite element method (nSFEM) for solid mechanics. Finite Elem Anal Des 43: 847–860
Liu GR, Nguyen TT, Dai KY, Lam KY (2007) Theoretical aspects of the smoothed finite element method (SFEM). Int J Numer Methods Eng 71: 902–930
Cui XY, Liu GR, Li GY, Zhao X, Nguyen TT, Sun GY (2008) A smoothed finite element method (SFEM) for linear and geometrically nonlinear analysis of plates and shells. CMES Comput Model Eng Sci 28(2): 109–126
Nguyen-Xuan H, Rabczuk T, Bordas S, Debongnie JF (2008) A smoothed finite element method for plate analysis. Comp Methods Appl Mech Eng 197: 1184–1203
Bathe KJ, Dvorkin EH (1985) A four-node plate bending element based on Mindlin–Reissner plate theory and mixed interpolation. Int J Numer Methods Eng 21: 367–383
Liu GR (2009) On the G space theory. Int J Comput Methods 6(2): 257–289
Liu GR, Nguyen TT, Dai KY, Lam KY (2008) An edge-based smoothed finite element method (ES-FEM) for static, free and forced vibration analysis. J Sound Vib 320: 1100–1130
Cui XY, Liu GR, Li GY, Zhang GY, Sun GY (2009) Analysis of elastic–plastic problems using edge-based smoothed finite element. Int J Press Vessel Pip 86: 711–718
Timoshenko S, Woinowsky-Krieger S (1940) Theory of plates and shells. McGraw-Hill, New York
Liu GR, Quek SS (2003) The finite element method: a practical course. Butterworth Heinemann, Oxford
Zienkiewicz OC, Taylor RL (2000) The finite element method. In: Solid Mechanics, 5th edn, vol. 2. Butterworth-Heinemann, Oxford
Clough RW, Tocher JL (1965) Finite element stiffness matrices for analysis of plates in bending. In: Proceedings of conference on matrix methods in structural mechanics. Air Force Institute of Technology, Wright-Patterson A. F. Base, Ohio, pp 515–545
Alwood RJ, Cornes GM (1969) A polygonal finite element for plate bending problems using the assumed stress approach. Int J Numer Methods Eng 1: 135–149
Bazeley GP, Cheung YK, Irons BM, Zienkiewicz OC (1965) Triangular elements in plate bending conforming and non-conforming solutions. In: Proceedings of conference on matrix methods in structural mechanics. Air Force Institute of Technology, Wright-Patterson A. F. Base, Ohio, pp 547–577
Batoz JL (1982) An explicit formulation for an efficient triangular plate-bending element. Int J Numer Methods Eng 18: 1077–1089
Batoz JL, Katili I (1992) On a simple triangular Reissner/ Mindlin plate element based on incompatible modes and discrete constraints. Int J Numer Methods Eng 35: 1603–1632
Batoz JL, Lardeur P (1989) A discrete shear triangular nine dof element for the analysis of thick to very thin plates. Int J Numer Methods Eng 28: 533–560
Ugural AC (1981) Stresses in plates and shells. McGraw-Hill, New York
Belytschko T, Stolarski H, Carpenter NA (1984) C0 triangular plate element with one point quadrature. Int J Numer Methods Eng 20: 787–862
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Cui, X., Liu, GR., Li, Gy. et al. Analysis of plates and shells using an edge-based smoothed finite element method. Comput Mech 45, 141–156 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00466-009-0429-9
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00466-009-0429-9