Analysis of strain localization in strain-softening hyperelastic materials, using assumed stress hybrid elements (Q1344148)

Newly developed assumed stress finite elements, based on a mixed variational principle which includes unsymmetric stress, rotation (drilling degrees of freedom), pressure, and displacement as variables, are presented. The elements are capable of handling geometrically nonlinear as well as materially nonlinear two-dimensional problems, with and without volume constraints. As an application of the elements, strain localization problems are investigated in incompressible materials which have strain softening elastic constitutive relations.