Nonlinear analysis of free-form shells by flat finite elements

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The paper describes a general formulation for geometrically nonlinear analysis of shells using very simple flat finite elements. The approach is based on the “updated Langrangian” description of motion (co-rotational coordinates), in which the geometry of the shell structure is continuously updated during deformation to establish new reference configurations. The numerical solution technique adopted in the paper allows tracing of the entire nonlinear load-deflection path including unstable branches in the solution space. Numerical studies are presented in order to demonstrate the accuracy and efficiency of the proposed method.