Abstract
Whereas the higher-order versions of the finite element method (p- and hp-versions) are fairly well established as highly efficient methods for monitoring and controlling the discretization error in linear probblems, little has been done to exploit their benefits in elasto-plastic structural analysis. In this paper, we discuss which aspects of incremental elasto-plastic finite element analysis are particularly amenable to improvements by the p-version. These theoretical considerations are supported by several numerical experiments. First, we study an example for which an analytical solution is available. It is demonstrated that the p-version performs very well even in cycles of elasto-plastic loading and unloading, not only as compared with the traditional h-version but also with respect to the exact solution. Finally, an example of considerable practical importance - the analysts of a cold-working lug - is presented which demonstrates how the modelling tools offered by higher-order finite element techniques can contribute to an improved approximation of practical problems.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 1859-1878 |
Number of pages | 20 |
Journal | International Journal for Numerical Methods in Engineering |
Volume | 39 |
Issue number | 11 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - 1996 |
Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- Cold-working
- Continuum mechanics
- Elasto-plasticity
- Finite element method
- Non-linear problems
- P-version