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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.

The paper describes the extension of the critical displacement method (CDM), presented by Oñate and Matias in 1996, to the instability analysis of structures with non‐linear material behaviour using a simple damage model. The extended CDM is useful to detect instability points using a prediction of the critical displacement field and a secant load‐displacement relationship accounting for material non‐linearities. Examples of application of CDM to the instability analysis of structures using bar and solid finite elements are presented.

The paper describes the application of the simple rotation‐free basic shell triangle (BST) to the non‐linear analysis of shell structures using an explicit dynamic formulation. The derivation of the BST element involving translational degrees of freedom only using a combined finite element–finite volume formulation is briefly presented. Details of the treatment of geometrical and material non linearities for the dynamic solution using an updated Lagrangian description and an hypoelastic constitutive law are given. The efficiency of the BST element for the non linear transient analysis of shells using an explicit dynamic integration scheme is shown in a number of examples of application including problems with frictional contact situations.

The concepts of solution error and optimal mesh in adaptive finite element analysis are revisited. It is shown that the correct evaluation of the convergence rate of the error norms involved in the error measure and the optimal mesh criteria chosen are essential to avoid oscillations in the refinement process. Two mesh optimality criteria based on: (a) the equal distribution of global error, and (b) the specific error over the elements are studied and compared in detail through some examples of application.

A constitutive model based on classical plasticity theory for non‐linear analysis of concrete structures using finite elements is presented. The model uses the typical parameters of non‐associated plasticity theory for frictional materials and a modified Mohr‐Coulomb yield surface is suggested. Onset and amount of cracking at a point are controlled by the values of the effective plastic strain and thus it can be studied by a posteriori postprocessing of numerical results. The accuracy and objectivity of the model is checked out with some examples of application.

In this paper we consider several aspects related to the application of the pseudo‐concentration techniques to the simulation of mould filling processes. We discuss, in particular, the smoothing of the front when finite elements with interior nodes are employed and the evacuation of air through the introduction of temporary free wall nodes. The basic numerical techniques to solve the incompressible Navier—Stokes equations are also briefly described. The main features of the numerical model are the use of div‐stable velocity—pressure interpolations with discontinuous pressures, the elimination of the pressure via an iterative penalty formulation, the use of the SUPG approach to deal with convection‐dominated problems and the temporal integration using the generalized trapezoidal rule. At the end of the paper we present some numerical results obtained for a two‐dimensional test problem showing the ability of the method to capture complicated flow patterns.

A consistent formulation for unilateral contact problems including frictional work hardening or softening is proposed. The approach is based on an augmented Lagrangian approach coupled to an implicit quasi‐static Finite Element Method. Analogous to classical work hardening theory in elasto‐plasticity, the frictional work is chosen as the internal variable for formulating the evolution of the friction convex. In order to facilitate the implementation of a wide range of phenomenological models, the friction coefficient is defined in a parametrised form in terms of Bernstein polynomials. Numerical simulation of a 3D deep‐drawing operation demonstrates the performance of the methods for predicting frictional contact phenomena in the case of large sliding paths including high curvatures.

This paper shows a generalization of the classic isotropic plasticity theory to be applied to orthotropic or anisotropic materials. This approach assumes the existence of a real anisotropic space, and other fictitious isotropic space where a mapped fictitious problem is solved. Both spaces are related by means of a linear transformation using a fourth order transformation tensor that contains all the information concerning the real anisotropic material. The paper describes the basis of the spaces transformation proposed and the expressions of the resulting secant and tangent constitutive equations. Also details of the numerical integration of the constitutive equation are provided. Examples of application showing the good performance of the model for analysis of orthotropic materials and fibre‐reinforced composites are given.

The subject of this paper is the computation of instability points in mechanical problems with the finite element method. The objective is to extend the application of critical point detection methods to problems with inequality constraints originating from damage and contact. A simple bilinear model is considered for the damage problems. A bilateral, frictionless contact formulation is used for the contact problems. Among the critical point detection methods the focus is laid on the critical displacement method and the extended system. At first a possible combination of both methods is evaluated by applying them to damage problems. A prediction method based on the extended system is developed to facilitate the comparison of both methods. Secondly, the extended system is used as a computation method for critical points in two‐dimensional contact problems.

A unified approach for the vibration analysis of curved or straight prismatic plates and bridges and axisymmetric shells using a finite strip method based in Reissner—Mindlin shell theory is presented. Details of obtaining all relevant strip matrices and vectors are given. It is also shown how the use of the simple linear two node strip with reduced integration leads to direct explicit forms of all relevant matrices. Examples of application which show the accuracy of the linear strip for free vibration analysis of structures are presented.