Hybrid-stress solid elements for shell structures based upon a modified variational functional

In this paper, we start with a modified generalized laminate stiffness matrix that serves as a remedy to resolve the thickness locking and some abnormalities encountered by solid-shell elements in laminate analyses. A modified Hellinger-Reissner functional having displacement and a set of generalized stresses as independent fields is devised. Based upon the functional, eight-node and 18-node hybrid-stress solidshell elements are proposed. A number of benchmark tests on homogenous and laminated plates/shells are conducted. Accuracy of the elements are promising. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley and Sons, Ltd.link_to_subscribed_fulltex