A 3-D finite element for laminated composites with 2-D kinematic constraints

Abstract In this paper, a new 3-D element (3DLC) is presented for the analysis of laminated composite shells. The new element expedites the modeling process by presenting the designer with an intuitive physical interpretation for the different components of the model. The element is compatible with conventional 3-D continuum elements. It can represent arbitrarily curved shells with variable number of layers and variable thickness. Each element has a small number of degrees of freedom which facilitates its incorporation in commercial finite element codes. Aspect ratio limitations and shear locking of conventional 3-D continuum elements have been eliminated by using the kinematic constraints of layer-wise constant shear theories. The formulation and simple validation problems are presented.

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