An incompatible 3D solid element for structural analysis at elevated temperatures

The eight-node 3D solid element is one of the most extensively used elements in computational mechanics. This is due to its simple shape and easy of discretization. However, due to the parasitic shear locking, it should not be used to simulate the behaviour of structural members in bending dominant conditions. Previous researches have indicated that the introduction of incompatible mode into the displacement field of the solid element could significantly reduce the shear locking phenomenon. In this study, an incompatible mode eight-node solid element, which considers both geometric and material nonlinearities, is developed for modelling of structural members at elevated temperatures. An algorithm is developed to extend the state determination procedure at ambient temperature to elevated temperatures overcoming initially converged stress locking when the external load is kept constant. Numerical studies show that this incompatible element is superior in terms of convergence, mesh insensitivity and reducing shear locking. It is also showed that the solid element model developed in this paper can be used to model structural behaviour at both ambient and elevated temperatures.