The Finite Element Analysis of Shells - Fundamentals

Shell structures are found abundantly in engineering designs and are routinely analyzed with finite element methods. The objective of this book is to present, in a unified manner, modern finite element procedures for general shell analysis. The first chapters introduce the basic concepts for the analysis of shells, explain the mathematical preliminaries, and discuss the mathematical models of plates and shells including their asymptotic properties. The following chapters deal with finite element discretization methods for plates and shells. At the end of the book, applications of these methods in modern engineering practice are described and an overview of nonlinear shell analysis is given.

• Approximation
• Fundament
• Mixed formulations
• Reliability
• Shell models
• Shells
• behavior
• calculus
• continuum mechanics
• design
• finite element method
• finite elements
• mechanics
• numerical analysis
• structure

From the reviews:

"The major part of the book focuses on the linear analysis of shell structures, for which a discussion of the available mathematical models and discretization procedures is given. … The aim of the present volume is to provide more powerful finite element methods by a deeper physical understanding of shell structural behavior and application of stronger mathematical theories. … This well-written text is not just a survey of finite element methods for shell analyses, but presents the authors’ experiences with shell analysis methods." (K.Marti, ZAMM - Zeitschrift für Angewandte Mathematik und Mechanik, Vol. 85 (2), 2005)

"If we are aware of the rising application of finite shell elements in industrial applications and of the growing size of the problems, an increase of mathematical knowledge for element use and development seems to be required. Just this is the aim of the present book … . This book is recommended to all ‘applied mechanicians’, who intend to study the mathematical backgrounds of finite shell analyses. For all developers of advanced and more powerful finite shell element techniques, its reading is a ‘must’." (Technische Mechanik, Vol. 24 (1), 2004)

"The main objective is to combine the fundamentals of shell theories, mathematical analyses and finite element methods in order to develop shell finite element approximations which are reliable and effective. … The expertises of both authors combined with a very clear and attractive presentation lead to a wonderful masterpiece which is, with no doubt and for a long time, the great reference book for the development of accurate and reliable numerical methods in the thin shell world." (Michel Bernadou, Zentralblatt MATH, Vol. 1103 (5), 2007)

• INRIA-Rocquencourt, Le Chesnay, France

  Dominique Chapelle

• Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, USA

  Klaus-Jürgen Bathe

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