A C-DEGREES 8-NODE MEMBRANE-SHEAR-BENDING ELEMENT FOR GEOMETRICALLY NONLINEAR (STATIC AND DYNAMIC) ANALYSIS OF LAMINATES

A new eight-nodeC(0) membrane-plate quadrilateral finite element is pr esented to analyse static and dynamic moderately large deflections of moderately thick laminates. The finite element is based on the Reissne r-Mindlin plate theory and on previous works for the shear-bending (pl ate) part, which has been described in a previous paper, Reference 10. In the paper, the novelty is in the way of improving isoparametric me mbrane response without adding zero-energy modes, and the moderately l arge deflection static and dynamic analysis of laminates based on von Karman's assumptions. Finally, some numerical simulations are presente d in statics and in dynamics for laminates, including buckling analysi s and membrane-plate coupling effects. Among a large variety of finite elements which have been proposed during the two last decades, intere st in the present element lies in its simplicity implementation, its e fficiency without any correction factors and spurious energy modes, an d (also) the fact it is fully standard from an engineering view point.