Finite Element Analysis of Elasto-plastic Plate Bending Problems using Transition Rectangular Plate Elements

In this work, the finite element analysis of the elasto-plastic plate bending problems is carried out using transition rectangular plate elements. The shape functions of the transition plate elements are derived based on a practical rule. The transition plate elements are all quadrilateral and can be used to obtain efficient finite element models using minimum number of elements. The mesh convergence rates of the models including the transition elements are compared with the regular element models. To verify the developed elements, simple tests are demonstrated and various elasto-plastic problems are solved. Their results are compared with ANSYS results.