Design of simple low order finite elements for large strain analysis of nearly incompressible solids

A simple four-node quadrilateral and an eight-node hexahedron for large strain analysis of nearly incompressible solids are proposed. Based on the concept of deviatoric/volumetric split and the replacement of the compatible deformation gradient with an assumed modified counterpart, the formulation developed is applicable to arbitrary material models. The closed form of the corresponding exact tangent stiffnesses, which have a particularly simple structure, is derived. It ensures asymptotically quadratic rates of convergence of the Newton-Raphson scheme employed in the solution of the implicit finite element equilibrium equations. From a practical point of view, the incorporation of the proposed elements into existing codes is straightforward. It requires only small changes in the routines of the standard displacement based 4-node quadrilateral and 8-node brick. A comprehensive set of numerical examples, involving hyperelasticity as well as multiplicative elasto-plasticity, is provided. It illustrates the performance of the proposed elements over a wide range of applications, including strain localisation problems, metal forming simulation and adaptive analysis. Copyright (C) 1996 Elsevier Science Ltd.