A new twelve DOF quadrilateral element for analysis of thick and thin plates

A simple quadrilateral 12 DOF plate bending element based on Reissner-Mindlin theory for analysis of thick and thin plates is presented in this paper. This element is constructed by the following procedure: (i) the variation functions of the rotation and sheer strain along each side of the element are determined using Timoshenko's beam theory; and (ii) the rotation, curvature and shear strain fields in the domain of the element are then determined using the technique of improved interpolation. The proposed element, denoted by ARS-Q12, is robust and free of shear locking and, thus, it can be employed to analyze very thin plate. Numerical examples show that the proposed element is a high performance element for thick and thin plates. (C) 2001 Editions scientifiques et medicales Elsevier SAS.