Assumed strain finite strip method using the non-periodic B-spline

An assumed strain finite strip method(FSM) using the non-periodic B-spline for a shell is presented. In the present method, the shape function based on the non-periodic B-splines satisfies the Kronecker delta properties at the boundaries and allows to introduce interior supports in much the same way as in a conventional finite element formulation. In the formulation for a shell, the geometry of the shell is defined by non-periodic B3-splines without any tangential vectors at the ends and the penalty function method is used to incorporate the drilling degrees of freedom. In this study, new assumed strain fields using the non-periodic B-spline function are proposed to overcome the locking problems. The strip formulated in this way does not posses any spurious zero energy modes. The versatility and accuracy of the new approach are demonstrated through a series of numerical examples.