Three-Dimensional Non-Conforming Element (No. R808)

Abstract

The performance of three-dimensional hexahedral elements has been compared in this study. The standard quadratic 20-noded hexahedral element has shown robust performance in many applications, however, it has a high number of nodes, which necessitates relatively large computational time. The standard linear 8-noded hexahedral element has the least number of nodes in elements of this geometric type, but it is unable to model adequately a state of pure bending. The 8-noded element can be modified by including non-conforming displacements to improve its efficiency. The modified hexahedral element has been adopted in finite element analyses and its excellent performance in terms of accuracy and time efficiency is described.