A shell finite element formulation to analyze highly deformable rubber-like materials

Abstract: In this paper, a shell finite element formulation to analyze highly deformable shell structures composed of homogeneous rubber-like materials is presented. The element is a triangular shell of any-order with seven nodal parameters. The shell kinematics is based on geometrically exact Lagrangian description and on the Reissner-Mindlin hypothesis. The finite element can represent thickness stretch and, due to the seventh nodal parameter, linear strain through the thickness direction, which avoids Poisson locking. Other types of locking are eliminated via high-order approximations and m...