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Gives a bibliographical review of the finite element methods (FEMs) applied for the linear and nonlinear, static and dynamic analyses of basic structural elements from the theoretical as well as practical points of view. The range of applications of FEMs in this area is wide and cannot be presented in a single paper; therefore aims to give the reader an encyclopaedic view on the subject. The bibliography at the end of the paper contains 2,025 references to papers, conference proceedings and theses/dissertations dealing with the analysis of beams, columns, rods, bars, cables, discs, blades, shafts, membranes, plates and shells that were published in 1992‐1995.

A general methodology for deriving thin plate bending elements with a single degree of freedom per node is presented. The formulation is based on the combination of a standard C0 finite element interpolation for the deflection field with an independent approximation of the curvatures which are expressed in terms of the deflection gradient along the sides using a finite volume‐like approach. The formulation is particularized for the simplest element of the family, i.e. the three node triangle with three degrees of freedom. The potential of the new element is shown through different examples of application.

This paper presents an improved nine node Mindlin plate element. An enhanced interpolation of the transverse shear strains is used in this formulation of the new element which has the requisite number of zero energy modes, does not lock and passes the appropriate patch tests exactly. Some examples are included to illustrate the accuracy of the proposed element. The new 9‐node element is compared with the Lagrangian and heterosis elements and the general performance of the new element is much better than the other quadratic elements especially for shear force distributions.

A bibliographical review of the finite element methods (FEMs) applied for the linear and nonlinear, static and dynamic analyses of basic structural elements from the theoretical as well as practical points of view is given. The bibliography at the end of the paper contains 1,726 references to papers, conference proceedings and theses/dissertations dealing with the analysis of beams, columns, rods, bars, cables, discs, blades, shafts, membranes, plates and shells that were published in 1996‐1999.

‘Shear‐constraints’ can be used to produce efficient Mindlin/Reissner or ‘discrete Kirchhoff’ bending elements. The paper shows that ‘selective shear‐constraints’ can be used to produce an effective formulation for folded‐plated structures.

A 4‐node flat shell quadrilateral finite element with 6 degrees of freedom per node, denoted QC5D‐SA, is presented. The element is an assembly of a modification of the drilling degree of freedom membrane presented by Ibrahimbegovic et al., and the assumed strain plate element presented by Bathe and Dvorkin. The part of the stiffness matrix associated with in—plane displacements and rotations is integrated over the element domain by a modified 5‐point reduced integration scheme, resulting in greater efficiency without the sacrifice of rank sufficiency. The scheme produces a soft higher order deformation mode which increases numerical accuracy. A large number of standard benchmark problems are analyzed. Some examples show that the effectiveness of a previously proposed “membrane locking correction” technique is significantly reduced when employing distorted elements. However, the element is shown to be generally accurate and in many cases superior to existing elements.

The 4‐node assumed strain elements are among the best elements available today but the bending moments at their full integration points oscillate severely. This paper presents a one point integrated version of the 4‐node assumed strain plate element of Bathe‐Dvorkin. A Taylor series expansion approach is used to accommodate the linear variation of strains/stresses within the element and hence to stabilize the spurious zero energy modes. An extensive number of benchmark results are presented and compared.

Presents a procedure for obtaining an improved finite element solution of boundary problems by estimating the principle of exact displacement method in the finite element technique. The displacement field is approximated by two types of functions: the shape functions satisfying the homogeneous differential equilibrium equation and the full clamping element functions as a particular solution of the differential equation between the nodes. The full clamping functions represent the solution of the full clamping state on finite elements. An improved numerical solution of displacements, strains, stresses and internal forces, not only at nodes but over the whole finite element, is obtained without an increase of the global basis, because the shape functions are orthogonal with the full clamping functions. This principle is generally applicable to different finite elements. The contribution of introducing two types of functions based on the principle of the exact displacement method is demonstrated in the solution procedure of frame structures and thin plates.

A higher-order Reissner-Mindlin plate element method is presented based on the framework of assumed stress quasi-conforming method and Hellinger-Reissner variational principle. A novel six-node triangular plate element is proposed by utilizing this method for the static and free vibration analysis of Reissner-Mindlin plates.

First, the initial assumed stress field is derived by using the fundamental analytical solutions which satisfy all governing equations. Then the stress matrix is treated as the weighted function to weaken the strain-displacement equations after the strains are derived by using the constitutive equations. Finally, the arbitrary order Timoshenko beam function is adopted as the string-net functions along each side of the element for strain integration.

The proposed element can pass patch test and is free from shear locking and spurious zero energy modes. Numerical tests show that the element can give high-accurate solutions, good convergence and is a good competitor to other models.

This work gives new formulations to develop high-order Reissner-Mindlin plate element, and the new strategy exhibits advantages of both analytical and discrete methods.

A non‐linear shallow thin shell element is described. The element is a curved quadrilateral one with corner nodes only. At each node, six degrees of freedom (i.e. three translations and three rotations) make the element easy to connect to space beams, stiffeners or intersecting shells. The curvature is dealt with by Marguerre's theory. Membrane bending coupling is present at the element level and improves the element behaviour, especially in non‐linear analysis. The element converges to the deep shell solution. The sixth degree of freedom is a true one, which can be assimilated to the in‐plane rotation. The present paper describes how overstiffness due to membrane locking on the one hand and to the sixth degree of freedom on the other hand can be corrected without making use of numerical adjusted factors. The behaviour of this new element is analysed in linear and non‐linear static and dynamic tests.