• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.443-460
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• 2001

This paper presents an effective application of a variable-node axisymmetric solid element designated as AQV (Axisymmetric Quadrilateral Variable-node element). The variable-node element with physical midside nodes helps to overcome some problems in connecting the different layer patterns on a quadrilateral mesh in the adaptive h-refinement. This element alleviates the necessity of imposing displacement constraints on irregular (hanging) nodes in order to enforce the inter-element compatibility. Therefore, the elements with variable mid-side nodes can be used effectively in the local mesh refinement for the axisymmetric structures which have stress concentrations. A modified Gaussian quadrature should be adopted to evaluate the stiffness matrices of the variable-node elements mainly because of the slope discontinuity of assumed displacement within the elements. Some numerical examples show the usefulness of variable-node axisymmetric elements in the practical application.

• Proceedings of the Computational Structural Engineering Institute Conference
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• 1994.10a
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• pp.1-8
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• 1994

A variable-node-flat shell element designated as CLS which has variable mid-side nodes with drilling freedom has been presented in this paper. The shell element to be applied in finite element analysis has been developed by combining a membrane element named as CLM with drilling rotation d.o.f. and plate bending element. The combined shell element possess six degrees of freedom per node. By introducing the variable-node elements which have physical midside nodes, some difficulties associated with imposing displacement constraints on irregular nodes to enforce interelement compatibility in common adaptive h-refinement on quadrilateral mesh are easily overcome. Detailed numerical studies show the excellent performance of the new shell elements developed in this study.

• Journal of the Computational Structural Engineering Institute of Korea
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.335-341
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• 2009

In this paper, review of developed MLS-based finite elements and a proposal for their applications are described. The shape functions and their derivatives of MLS-based finite elements are constructed using Moving-Least Square approximation. In MLS-based finite element, using the adequate influence domain of weight function used in MLS approximation, kronecker delta condition could be satisfied at the element boundary. Moreover, because of the characteristics of MLS approximation, we could easily add extra nodes at an arbitrary position in MLS-based finite elements. For these reasons, until now, several variable-node elements(2D variable element for linear case and quadratic case and 3D variable-node elements) and finite crack elements are developed using MLS-based finite elements concept. MLS-based finite elements could be extended to 2D variable-node triangle element, 2D finite crack triangle element, variable-node shell element, finite crack shell element, and 3D polyhedron element. In this paper, we showed the feasibility of 3D polyhedron element at the case of femur meshing.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.61-74
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• 1993

A new three-dimensional transition solid element was presented for the automated three-dimensional adaptive h-refinement or the local mesh refinement where the steep stress gradient exists. The proposed transition element was established by adding variable nodes(element nodes) to basic 8-node for an effective connection between the refined region and the coarse region with minimum degrees of freedom possible. To be consistent in accuracy with 8-node solid element with nonconforming modes, this transition element was also improved through the addition of the modified nonconforming modes. Numerical examples show that the performance of the element and the applicability to 3D adaptations are satisfactory.

• Proceedings of the Computational Structural Engineering Institute Conference
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• 1996.10a
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• pp.168-175
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• 1996

This paper deals with the variable-node element for fluid flow and the adaptive h-version mesh refinement algorithm. The transient element has been formulated by the Galerkin approach in which the pressure term is replaced with the penalty function. The present element having variable mid-side node and is suitable for constructing a locally refined mesh avoiding the use of the highly distorted elements. A modified Gauss quadrature is needed to integrate the element matrices to solve the trouble associated with the discontinuity of derivatives of shape functions. Several numerical examples show that the proposed element can be effectively used in the h-version adapt ive mesh refinement

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.17 no.3_4
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• pp.379-391
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• 2004

This paper deals with the development of h-version adaptive mesh refinement and recovery strategy using variable-node elements and its application to various engineering field problems with 2D quadrilateral and 3D hexahedral models. The variable-node elements which have variable mid-side nodes on edges or faces are effectively used in overcoming some problems in connecting the different layer patterns of the transition zone between the refined and coarse mesh. A modified recovery technique of gradients adequate for variable-node elements and proper selection of error norms for each engineering field problems are proposed. In the region in which the error is greater than the permissible refinement error, the mesh is locally refined by subdivision. Reversely, in some parts of the domain having the error smaller than the permissible recovery error, the mesh is locally recovered (coarsened) by combination. Hierarchical structures (e.g. quadtrees and octrees) and element-based storage structures are composed to perform this adaptive process of refinement and recovery. Some numerical examples of a 3D heat conduction analysis of the concrete with hydration heat and a 2D flow analysis of vortex shedding show effectiveness and validity of the proposed scheme.

• Proceedings of the Computational Structural Engineering Institute Conference
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• 1995.04a
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• pp.9-16
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• 1995

A new three-dimensional transition solid element with drilling degrees of freedom is presented. The proposed transition element is established by adding variable nodes to a basic 8-node element for an effective connection between the refined region and the coarse. The derivation of the element in this paper is based on the variational principles in which the drilling rotations are introduced as independent variables. This element was also improved through the addition of modified non-conforming modes. Numerical examples show that performance of the element and the applicability to 3D adaptations are satisfactory.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.479-492
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• 2003

Non-conforming membrane elements which have variable number of mid-side nodes with drilling degrees of freedom and which is designated as NMDx have been presented in this paper. The non-conforming elements with variable number of mid-side nodes can be efficiently used in the local mesh refinement for the in-plane structures. To guarantee the developed elements always pass the patch test, the direct modification method is incorporated into the element formulation. Detailed numerical tests in this study show the validity of the variable node NC elements developed in this study and a wide applicability of these elements to practical problems.

• Proceedings of the Computational Structural Engineering Institute Conference
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• 2002.10a
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• pp.104-111
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• 2002

A new triangular element fur the finite element analysis of plate-bending problems is presented. For the purpose of sharing the program code of 4 node plate-bending element, two nodes of the 4-node element are combined to form a triangular element. Thus, the presented element would bring about great deal of efficiency of the computer program. The proposed variable-node elements pass the patch tests, do not show spurious zero-energy modes, and do not produce shear locking phenomena. It is also shown that the elements produce reliable solutions through numerical tests for standard benchmark problems.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.43 no.3
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• pp.349-370
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• 2012

Variable-node finite element families, termed (4 + k + l + m + n)-node elements with an arbitrary number of nodes (k, l, m, and n) on each of their edges, are developed based on the generic point interpolation with special bases having slope discontinuities in two-dimensional domains. They retain the linear interpolation between any two neighboring nodes, and passes the standard patch test when subdomain-wise $2{\times}2$ Gauss integration is employed. Their shape functions are automatically generated on the master domain of elements although a certain number of nodes are inserted on their edges. The elements can provide a flexibility to resolve nonmatching mesh problems like mesh connection and adaptive mesh refinement. In the case of adaptive mesh refinement problem, so-called "1-irregular node rule" working as a constraint in performing mesh adaptation is relaxed by adopting the variable-node elements. Through several examples, we show the performance of the variable-node finite elements in terms of accuracy and efficiency.