Abstract

The finite element method has become the most widely used method of structural analysis and recently, the method has often been applied to complex dynamic and nonlinear structural analyses problems. Even for these complex problems, where the responses are hard to predict, finite element analyses yield reliable results if appropriate element types and meshes are used. However, the dynamic and nonlinear behaviors of a structure often include large deformations in various portions of the structure and if the same mesh is used throughout the analysis, some elements may deform to shapes beyond the reliable limits; thus dynamically adapting finite element meshes are needed in order for the finite element analyses to be accurate. In addition, to satisfy the users requirement of quick real run time of finite element programs, the algorithms must be computationally efficient. This paper presents an adaptive finite element mesh generation scheme for dynamic analyses of structures that may adapt at each time step. Representative strain values are used for error estimates and combinations of the h-method(node movement) and the r-method(element division) are used for mesh refinements. A coefficient that depends on the shape of an element is used to limit overly distorted elements. A simple frame example shows the accuracy and computational efficiency of the scheme. The aim of the study is to outline the adaptive scheme and to demonstrate the potential use in general finite element analyses of dynamic and nonlinear structural problems commonly encountered.

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