Finite Element Analysis of Plates and Solid Shells

This chapter covers the finite element analysis of plates and solid shells, including thin plate elements, thick plate elements, and three-dimensional degenerated shell elements. This chapter presents conforming thin plate elements based on the hierarchical finite element method, with lower-order elements as special cases. The thick plate elements are analogous to those used in plane problems. They are generally similar, so the main discussion focuses on reduced integration, mixed methods, and the hierarchical quadrature element method. Three-dimensional degenerate shell elements are almost identical to thick plate elements, and similar analogies exist for general curved shells.