Fraeijs de Veubeke variational principle-based cylindrical shell finite element model

In this paper a dimensionally reduced cylindrical shell model based on the dual-mixed variational principle of Fraeijs de Veubeke will be presented. The fundamental variables of this variational principle are the not a priori symmetric stress tensor and the skew-symmetric rotation tensor. The tensor of first-order stress functions is applied to satisfy translational equilibrium. A shell model derived in this way makes the application of the classical kinematical hypotheses unnecessary, and enables us to use unmodified three-dimensional constitutive equations. On the basis of this shell model, a new dual-mixed cylindrical shell finite elements capable of both h- and p-approximation can be derived. (© 2013 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)