Finite element modeling of Kirchhoff-Love shells as smooth material surfaces

We consider large deformations of curved thin shells in the framework of a classical Kirchhoff-Love theory for material surfaces. The geometry of the element is approximated via the position vector and its derivatives with respect to the material coordinates at the four nodes, and C-1 continuity of the surface over the interfaces between the elements is guaranteed. Theoretical background provides certainty concerning the boundary conditions, the range of applicability of the model, extensions to multi-field problems, etc. Robust convergence and accuracy of the resulting simple numerical scheme is demonstrated by the analysis of benchmark problems in comparison with other solutions. (C) WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim