Tetrahedron Elements with Linearly Varying Strain for the Matrix Displacement Method

Abstract

The author mentioned in his Main Lecture(1) the success achieved in the analysis of three-dimensional media, for small and large displacements, as well as anisotropic and non-elastic behaviour, by the introduction of tetrahedron elements of constant strain and stress(2), see also technical note 1 of this series(3). A cardinal point of the theory is the specification of natural strains, stresses and stiffness. At the same time attention was drawn to certain difficulties arising in the interpretation of the stresses at the nodal or other points, which are more severe than for constant strain triangles, the corresponding elements in the two-dimensional case. It was suggested in the lecture that a considerable improvement might be achieved by the specification of a linearly varying strain or stress state within the tetrahedron. The solution of this problem, limited to small displacements, is summarised in this fifth technical note and its application is to be demonstrated on an example in the printed lecture.