APPLICATION OF THE HYBRID-TREFFTZ FINITE ELEMENT MODEL TO THIN SHELL ANALYSIS

The paper presents the results of a preliminary study on thin shallow shell element based on the hybrid-Trefftz (HT) model. This model adopts an assumed nonconforming displacement field which satisfies a priori the governing differential equations. The interelement continuity and the boundary conditions are enforced by frame fields defined in terms of the conventional nodal freedoms. In the p-extension, the frame functions involve an optional number of hierarchic displacement modes. Numerical results present the capability of the new shell element which can be implemented in existing finite element codes