A simple quadrilateral 12 DOF plate bending element based on Reissner-Mindl
in theory for analysis of thick and thin plates is presented in this paper.
This element is constructed by the following procedure:
(i) the variation functions of the rotation and sheer strain along each sid
e of the element are determined using Timoshenko's beam theory; and
(ii) the rotation, curvature and shear strain fields in the domain of the e
lement are then determined using the technique of improved interpolation.
The proposed element, denoted by ARS-Q12, is robust and free of shear locki
ng and, thus, it can be employed to analyze very thin plate. Numerical exam
ples show that the proposed element is a high performance element for thick
and thin plates. (C) 2001 Editions scientifiques et medicales Elsevier SAS
.