On a method of comparison for plate elements in finite element engineering software programs

The purpose of this paper is to propose a method for the evaluation of plate elements in the finite element engineering software comparatively to the Kirchhoff and Reissner plate theories. The method is based on the study of transverse deflection near a crack tip. A numerical work has been conducted for the shell elements in Abaqus software with different crack lengths and various thicknesses. The deflection can be written as a function of the exponent of the distance between the crack tip and one point along the crack. This exponent is accepted to describe the behaviour of finite elements.