Chapter 7

FEM for Two-Dimensional Solids

7.1 Introduction

In this chapter, we develop finite element (FE) equations for the stress analysis of two-dimensional (2D) solids subjected to external loads. The basic concepts, procedures, and formulations can also be found in many existing textbooks (see Zienkiewicz and Taylor, 2000). The element developed here is called a 2D solid element that is used for solid mechanics problems where the loading (and hence the deformation) occur only within a plane. Though no real life structure can be truly 2D, experienced analysts can often idealize many 3D practical problems to 2D problems with satisfactory results by carrying out analyses using 2D models, which are usually much more efficient and cost effective ...

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