Built upon the two original books by Mike Crisfield and their own lecture notes, renowned scientist Rene de Borst and his team offer a thoroughly updated yet condensed edition that retains and builds upon the excellent reputation and appeal amongst students and engineers alike for which Crisfield's first edition is acclaimed. Together with numerous additions and updates, the new authors have retained the core content of the original publication, while bringing an improved focus on new developments and ideas. This edition offers the latest insights in non-linear finite element technology, including non-linear solution strategies, computational plasticity, damage mechanics, time-dependent effects, hyperelasticity and large-strain elasto-plasticity. The authors' integrated and consistent style and unrivalled engineering approach assures this book's unique position within the computational mechanics literature.

Non-Linear Finite Element Analysis of Solids and Structures: de Borst/Non-Linear Finite Element Analysis of Solids and Structures

A method of non-destructively assessing the integrity of structures using measurements of the structural natural frequencies is described. It is shown how measurements made at a single point in the structure can be used to detect, locate and quantify damage. The scheme presented uses finite-element analysis, since this method may be used on any structure. The principle may, however, be used in conjunction with other mathematical techniques. Only one full analysis is required for each type of structure.Results are presented from tests on an aluminium plate and a cross-ply carbon-fibre-reinforced plastic plate. Excellent agreement is shown between the predicted and actual damage sites and a useful indication of the magnitude of the defect is obtained.

The location of defects in structures from measurements of natural frequencies

The solution of plate and shell problems by an independent specification of slopes and middle surface displacements is attractive due to its simplicity and ability of reproducing shear deformation. Unfortunately elements of this type are much too stiff when thickness is reduced.

In an earlier paper a derivation of such an element was presented1 which proved very successful in ‘thick’ situations. Here a very simple extension is made which allows the element to be economically used in all situations.

The improved flexibility is achieved simply by reducing the order of numerical integration applied to certain terms without sacrificing convergence properties. The process is of very wide applicability in improvement of element properties.

Reduced integration technique in general analysis of plates and shells

A new decohesion element with the capability of dealing with crack propagation under mixed-mode loading is proposed and demonstrated. The element is used at the interface between solid finite elements to model the initiation and non-self-similar growth of delaminations in composite materials. A single relative displacement-based damage parameter is applied in a softening law to track the damage state of the interface and to prevent the restoration of the cohesive state during unloading. The softening law is applied in the three-parameter Benzeggagh-Kenane mode interaction criterion to predict mixed-mode delamination propagation. To demonstrate the accuracy of the predictions, steady-state delamination growth is simulated for quasi-static loading of various single mode and mixed-mode delamination test specimens and the results are compared with experimental data.

Numerical simulation of mixed-mode progressive delamination in composite materials

A general formulation for the curved, arbitrary shape of thick shell finite elements is presented in this paper along with a simplified form for axisymmetric situations. A number of examples ranging from thin to thick shell applications are given, which include a cooling tower, water tanks, an idealized arch dam and an actual arch dam with deformable foundation.

A new process using curved, thick shell finite elements is developed overcoming the previous approximations to the geometry of the structure and the neglect of shear deformation.

A general formulation for a curved, arbitrary shape of shell is developed as well as a simplified form suitable for axisymmetric situations.

Several illustrated examples ranging from thin to thick shell applications are given to assess the accuracy of solution attainable. These examples include a cooling tower, tanks, and an idealized dam for which many alternative solutions were used.

The usefulness of the development in the context of arch dams, where a ‘thick shell’ situation exists, leads in practice to a fuller discussion of problems of foundation deformation, etc., so that practical application becomes possible and economical.

Analysis of thick and thin shell structures by curved finite elements

The program given here assembles and solves symmetric positive–definite equations as met in finite element applications. The technique is more involved than the standard band–matrix algorithms, but it is more efficient in the important case when two-dimensional or three-dimensional elements have other than corner nodes. Artifices are included to improve efficiency when there are many right hand sides, as in automated design. The organization of the program is described with reference to diagrams, full notation, specimen input data and supplementary comments on the ASA FORTRAN print-out.

Bruce M. Irons

Papers

Analysis of thick and thin shell structures by curved finite elements

A frontal solution program for finite element analysis

Curved, isoparametric, “quadrilateral” elements for finite element analysis

A version of the Aitken accelerator for computer iteration

Techniques of finite elements