The quadratic MITC plate and MITC shell elements in plate bending

Abstract

The analysis of plates can be achieved using the quadratic MITC plate or MITC shell elements. The plate elements have a strong mathematical basis and have been shown to be optimal in their convergence behavior, theoretically and numerically. The shell elements have not (yet) been analyzed mathematically in depth for their rates of convergence, with the plate/shell thickness varying, but have been shown numerically to perform well. Since the shell elements are general and can be used for linear and nonlinear analyses of plates and shells, it is important to identify the differences in the performance of these elements when compared to the plate elements. We briefly review the quadratic quadrilateral and triangular MITC plate and shell elements and study their performances in linear plate analyses.