Composite shell

Development of a finite shell element to compute the complete three-dimensional stress state in layered composite shell structures

M. Schürg, J. Wackerfuß, F. Gruttmann

Being able to compute the complete three-dimensional stress state in layered composite shell structures is essential in order to examine complicated interlaminar failure modes such as delamination. We lay out a mixed finite element formulation with independent displacements, rotations, stress resultants and shell strains. A mixed hybrid shell element with 4 nodes and 5 or 6 nodal degrees of freedom is developed, so that the element formulation can also be used for problems with shell intersections.

Schürg, M., Wackerfuß, J., Gruttmann F.: Computation of the Three-Dimensional Stress State in Composite Shell Structures with Mixed Finite Elements. PAMM Proceedings in Applied Mathematics and Mechanics, Volume 10, Issue 1, pp. 217–218, 2010