An efficient 3D enhanced strain element with taylor expansion of the shape functions

摘要

Further development of three dimensional tri-linear elements based on a modified enhanced strain methodology is presented. The new formulation employs Taylor expansions of the derivatives of the isoparametric and enhanced shape func- tions in local coordinates. With this approach, only nine en- hanced modes are needed for developing a dilatational-locking free element. Furthermore, the formulation permits a symbolic integration of the element tangent matrix, and more efficient static condensation procedure due to uncoupling of the en- hanced modes. Good results in the analysis of thin shell struc- tures, using only one 3D element in the thickness direction of the shell, are also presented.