Efficient and accurate multilayer solid-shell element: non-linear materials at finite strain

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We present in this paper an efficient and accurate low-order solid-shell element formulation for analyses of large deformable multilayer shell structures with non-linear materials. The element has only displacement degrees of freedom (dofs), and an optimal number of enhancing assumed strain (EAS) parameters to pass the patch tests (both membrane and out-of-plane bending) and to remedy volumetric locking. Based on the mixed Fraeijs de Veubeke-Hu-Washizu (FHW) variational principle, the in-plane and out-of-plane bending behaviours are improved and the locking associated with (nearly) incompressible materials is avoided via a new efficient enhancement of strain tensor. Shear locking and curvature thickness locking are resolved effectively by using the assumed natural strain (ANS) method. Two non-linear 3-D constitutive models (Mooney–Rivlin material and hyperelastoplastic material at finite strain) are applied directly without requiring the enforcement of the plane-stress assumption. In particular, we give a simple derivation for the hyperelastoplastic model using spectral representations. In addition, the present element has a well-defined lumped mass matrix, and provides double-side contact surfaces for shell contact problems. With the dynamics referred to a fixed inertial frame, the present element can be used to analyse multilayer shell structures undergoing large overall motion. Numerical examples involving static analyses and implicit/explicit dynamic analyses of multilayer shell structures with both material and geometric non-linearities are presented, and compared with existing results obtained from other shell elements and from a meshless method. It is shown that elements that did not pass the out-of-plane bending patch test could not provide accurate results, as compared to the present element formulation, which passed the out-of-plane bending patch test. The present element proves to be versatile and efficient in the modelling and analyses of general non-linear composite multilayer shell structures. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.