SIMPLE FINITE ELEMENTS WITH RELAXED CONTINUITY FOR NONLINEAR ANALYSIS OF PLATES.
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abstract
Starting with the construction of a general variational principle for the nonlinear (in Von Karman sense) bending of plates, two C degree -finite elements are presented that are computationally very simple and yet possess competitive accuracy when compared to the conventional C**1-plate bending elements. One element is based on a mixed variational formulation that includes the transverse deflection and two normal bending moments as primary dependent variables, and the other element is based on the penalty method with slope continuity as a constraint. The transverse deflection and two slopes are the primary dependent variables in the second element. Accuracy of these two elements is demonstrated via several example problems of nonlinear bending and free vibration.