• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.38 no.3
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• pp.261-281
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• 2011

A new method of formulation of a class of elements that are immune to mesh distortion effects is proposed here. The simple three-noded bar element with an offset of the internal node from the element center is employed here to demonstrate the method and the principles on which it is founded upon. Using the function space approach, the modified formulation is shown here to be superior to the conventional isoparametric version of the element since it satisfies the completeness requirement as the metric formulation, and yet it is in agreement with the best-fit paradigm in both the metric and the parametric domains. Furthermore, the element error is limited to only those that are permissible by the classical projection theorem of strains and stresses. Unlike its conventional counterpart, the modified element is thus not prone to any errors from mesh distortion. The element formulation is symmetric and thus satisfies the requirement of the conservative nature of problems associated with all self-adjoint differential operators. The present paper indicates that a proper mapping set for distortion immune elements constitutes geometric and displacement interpolations through parametric and metric shape functions respectively, with the metric components in the displacement/strain replaced by the equivalent geometric interpolation in parametric co-ordinates.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.45 no.5
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• pp.677-691
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• 2013

A semi-analytical finite strip method is developed for analyzing the post-buckling behavior of rectangular composite laminated plates of arbitrary lay-up subjected to progressive end-shortening in their plane and to normal pressure loading. In this method, all the displacements are postulated by the appropriate harmonic shape functions in the longitudinal direction and polynomial interpolation functions in the transverse direction. Thin or thick plates are assumed and correspondingly the Classical Plate Theory (CPT) or Higher Order Plate Theory (HOPT) is applied. The in-plane transverse deflection is allowed at the loaded ends of the plate, whilst the same deflection at the unloaded edges is either allowed to occur or completely restrained. Geometric non-linearity is introduced in the strain-displacement equations in the manner of the von-Karman assumptions. The formulations of the finite strip methods are based on the concept of the principle of the minimum potential energy. The Newton-Raphson method is used to solve the non-linear equilibrium equations. A number of applications involving isotropic plates, symmetric and unsymmetric cross-ply laminates are described to investigate the through-thickness shearing effects as well as the effect of pressure loading, end-shortening and boundary conditions. The study of the results has revealed that the response of the composite laminated plates is particularly influenced by the application of the Higher Order Plate Theory (HOPT) and normal pressure loading. In the relatively thick plates, the HOPT results have more accuracy than CPT.