On mixed finite element formulations and stress recovery techniques

The relationship between a mixed finite element formulation based on the Hu–Washizu (HW) functional and stress recovery techniques is elucidated. Although mixed formulations are primarily motivated by avoidance of locking phenomena in finite element solutions, it is shown that a mixed formulation based on the HW functional, with displacements, stresses and strains as fields, is so intimately related to stress recovery that the formulation itself can also be viewed as a stress recovery method. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.