ANALYSIS OF PLATES SUBJECTED TO IN-PLANE FORCES USING LARGE FINITE ELEMENTS

A DERIVATION OF THE FLEXIBILITY AND THE STIFFNESS MATRIX OF LARGE RECTANGULAR OR RIGHT-ANGLE TRIANGULAR PLATE ELEMENTS FOR IN-PLANE DEGREES OF FREEDOM IS PRESENTED. THE FLEXIBILITY MATRIX IS CALCULATED USING FINITE DIFFERENCES. THIS MATRIX IS THEN USED TO DERIVE THE ELEMENT STIFFNESS MATRIX. THE CALCULATIONS INVOLVE SIMPLE MATRIX OPERATIONS AND CAN BE EASILY PROGRAMMED. THE STIFFNESS MATRICES DERIVED BY THIS METHOD ARE INTENDED TO BE USED IN THE ANALYSIS OF STRUCTURES WHICH CAN BE IDEALIZED AS AN ASSEMBLAGE OF LARGE RECTANGULAR OR TRIANGULAR PLATE ELEMENTS, E.G. BOX-GIRDER SKEW BRIDGES. /AUTHOR/