An adaptive approach to limit analysis

The main objective of this paper is to propose an adaptive mesh refinement procedure for finite element models in limit analysis. We use all 'a posteriori' indicator based on the local directional interpolation error and a recovering scheme to compute second derivatives of the finite element solution. The proposed mesh adaptation process gives improved results in localizing regions of rapid or abrupt variations of the variables, whose location is not known a priori. Limit analysis of bodies in plane strain and plane stress is considered in the applications. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.