On the improvement of four-node plane stress element

In this paper, a simple way is proposed to improve the overall performance of the four-node plane stress element. Numerical examples are given. Results show that the accuracy of both stress and displacement for a coarse mesh is raised by the proposed method. The reason is clearly given. The problem of mesh size dependent may be overcome in a certain degree if integration points are properly selected. (c) 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

This paper proposes a simple method to improve the overall performance of the four-node plane stress element and provides numerical examples to demonstrate its effectiveness. By properly selecting integration points, the problem of mesh size dependence can be overcome to a certain degree.